English · Word Candidate

background

/ˈbæk.(ɡ)ɹaʊnd/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: backgrounds · backgrounding · backgrounded

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Less important or less noticeable in a scene or system.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

ít quan trọng hoặc không dễ thấy trong một cảnh hoặc hệ thống

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Adjective

Examples

background noise

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

One's social heritage, or previous life; what one did in the past.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

di sản xã hội hoặc cuộc sống trước đây của một người

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Noun

Examples

The lawyer had a background in computer science.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

A part of the picture that depicts scenery to the rear or behind the main subject; context.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

phần của bức tranh mô tả phong cảnh phía sau hoặc sau chủ thể chính

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Noun

Examples

Earless ghost swift moths become “invisible” to echolocating bats by forming mating clusters close[…]above vegetation and effectively blending into the clutter of echoes that the bat receives from the leaves and stems around them. Many insects probably use this strategy, which is a close analogy to

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 4

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To place in the background.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

đặt ở vị trí thứ yếu

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Verb

Examples

Ha! I see Venus’ transit now;—lo! a new planet there;—and behind all, an infinite starry nebulousness, as if thy being were backgrounded by some spangled vail of mystery.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “background” mean?

Less important or less noticeable in a scene or system.

Is “background” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.