back ground

A form of background — Less important or less noticeable in a scene or system.

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Meanings

nounback ground (countable and uncountable, plural back grounds)

plural back grounds

  1. countableobsoleteuncountableObsolete form of background.

    In the back ground is represented the city bridge, built by our saint, and the scene of one of his miracles.

    [1838], John Milner, The History and Survey of the Antiquities of Winchester, 3rd edition, volume II, Winchester: […] for James Robbins, […], by D. E. Gilmour, […]; London: Orr and Co, […]; and Keating and Brown, […], page 258
    2 more examples

    I hope she will recollect it, and be satisfied, as well she may, with moving the queen of a palace, though the king may appear best in the back ground, and as I have no desire to teize her, I shall never force your name upon her again.

    1814 May 9, [Jane Austen], chapter IX, in Mansfield Park: […], volume III, London: […] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC, pages 181–182

    But Anna was an enthusiast—in politics and religion—with a Joan d’Arc devotion, she cast every personal consideration in the back ground, and as far as will could make her, was ready to become an aftertype of La Pucelle d’Orleans.

    1839, Castle Martyr: or A Tale of Old Ireland, volume II, London: Hugh Cunningham, […], pages 107–108
Cite this entry
APA

back ground. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/back%20ground

MLA

“back ground.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/back%20ground. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “back ground,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/back%20ground.

Source: back ground on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.