Meanings
nounbackground noise (countable and uncountable, plural background noises)
plural background noises
- countableuncountableAny sound other than the sound being monitored (the primary sound); a form of noise pollution or interference.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounextraneous noise contaminating sound measurements that cannot be separated from the desired signal
Similar
ground noise
Broader
backgroundbackground signal
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
German Hintergrundgeräusch
- Hintergrundgeräuschany sound other than the sound being monitored
Hungarian háttérzaj
- háttérzajany sound other than the sound being monitored
Cite this entry
APA
background noise. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/background%20noise
MLA
“background noise.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/background%20noise. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “background noise,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/background%20noise.
Source: background noise on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.