Webster's English Dictionarybackground
back.ground \-.grau.nd\ n 1a: the scenery or ground behind something seen or represented 1b: the part of a painting representing what lies behind objects in the foreground 2: an inconspicuous position 3a: the natural conditions that form the setting within which something is experienced 3b1: the circumstances or events antecedent to a phenomenon or development 3b2: information essential to understanding of a problem or situation 3c: the total of a person's experience, knowledge, and education 4: intrusive sound that interferes with received electronic signals