EN

Synonyms for background

12 synonyms
5 antonyms
2 meanings

noun

Most common

backdrop back-cloth setting scope

Synonyms by meaning

Noun

1. Backdrop

backdrop, back-cloth

2. Setting

Other

context, history, wall-paper, ground, canvas, desktop, blood, foil

Antonyms

foreground, primary, prominent

All antonyms of background →

Definitions

n. 1
One's social heritage, or previous life; what one did in the past.
The lawyer had a background in computer science.
n. 2
A part of the picture that depicts scenery to the rear or behind the main subject; context.

Related words

Phrases: background music cosmic background radiation background check background investigation background processing background right cosmic background cosmic microwave background

Forms

Plural: backgrounds → backdrops, back-cloths, settings, scopes…

Example sentences

backdrop This waterfall is an amazing backdrop for pictures.
setting What was his motive for setting the house on fire?
scope This subject is not within the scope of our study.
history I have to take an examination in history tomorrow.

Popularity over time

Word	1850 → 2019	Trend
background		steady
backdrop		rising
setting		steady
scope		steady
history		steady

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

4 letters: foil¹
5 letters: blood¹, scope¹
6 letters: ground¹, canvas²
7 letters: history³, setting², context², desktop²
8 letters: backdrop²

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (canvas² = 2 syllables).

In other languages

Français: arrière-plan
Italiano: sfondo
Deutsch: Hintergrund