background

I. noun Usage: often attributive Date: 1672 1. a. the scenery or ground behind something b. the part of a painting representing what lies behind objects in the foreground 2. an inconspicuous position 3. a. the conditions that form the setting within which something is experienced b. (1) the circumstances or events antecedent to a phenomenon or development (2) information essential to understanding of a problem or situation c. the total of a person's experience, knowledge, and education 4. a. intrusive sound or radiation that interferes with received or recorded electronic signals b. a more or less steady level of noise above which the effect (as radioactivity) being measured by an apparatus (as a Geiger counter) is detected; especially a somewhat steady level of radiation in the natural environment (as from cosmic rays) 5. a level of computer processing at which the processor uses time not required for a primary task to work on an additional task — compare foreground Synonyms: background, setting, environment, milieu, mise-en-scène mean the place, time, and circumstances in which something occurs. background often refers to the circumstances or events that precede a phenomenon or development <

the shocking decision was part of the background of the riots

>. setting suggests looking at real-life situations in literary or dramatic terms <

a militant reformer who was born into an unlikely social setting

>. environment applies to all the external factors that have a formative influence on one's physical, mental, or moral development <

the kind of environment that produces juvenile delinquents

>. milieu applies especially to the physical and social surroundings of a person or group of persons <

an intellectual milieu conducive to artistic experimentation

>. mise-en-scène strongly suggests the use of properties to achieve a particular atmosphere or theatrical effect <

a gothic thriller with a carefully crafted mise-en-scène

>. II. transitive verb Date: 1768 to provide with background