background music

noun

: music to accompany the dialogue or action of a motion picture or radio or television drama

Examples of background music in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In Other News • Stella’s voice-over throughout the episode, which is eventually revealed to be her apology letter to Mia, is full of very serious confessions, but what was with the film-noir background music laid over the entire thing? —Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2025

The sound is surprisingly effective for podcasts and background music, and the setup couldn’t get simpler. —Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 7 Oct. 2025

Though the album’s genres are superficially diverse—you’ll hear flashes of grunge, trap, and, yes, reggae—its arrangements could work fine as royalty-free background music for content creators. —Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 3 Oct. 2025

Then the house lights, the background music, and the ads came back on. —Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 26 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1928, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

background music

noun

: music played to go along with and add to the story or mood of a movie or radio or television show