backgrounder

noun

back·​ground·​er ˈbak-ˌ(g)rau̇n-dər How to pronounce backgrounder (audio)
1
: an off-the-record briefing for reporters
2
: something (such as an essay) that provides background information about a particular subject
She believes birds are the best model for understanding human language. But before making her argument, she offers a highly informative backgrounder on bird song.K. C. Cole

Examples of backgrounder in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The rest of the cast is rounded out by the kind of quirky backgrounders who also populated Dunder Mifflin. Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025 Simon Hughes covered the sentencing hearing for The Athletic, and there was an air of finality about his extensive backgrounder. Phil Hay, New York Times, 11 July 2025 This is a fab backgrounder by Laia Herrero on goalkeeper Diego Kochen — potentially the future of Barca and the USMNT. Phil Hay, The Athletic, 1 Jan. 2025 Check out the video below from The Engineers Post for a more visual backgrounder! New Atlas, 5 Dec. 2024 According to a brand backgrounder, As Form’s library and features expanded, the founders discovered that the true driver of growth was the platform’s user community. Margaux Lushing, Forbes, 10 Sep. 2024 In a 2021 backgrounder, a nonprofit organization called the Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force, which attempts to improve relations between immigrants and police agencies, detailed state policies on hiring noncitizens as peace officers. Tom Condon, Hartford Courant, 2 Mar. 2024 In fact, no small portion of the Royal Swedish Academy’s technical backgrounder (PDF) released to the media this morning could have also been cribbed from this in-depth Spectrum consideration of nearly a quarter-century ago. Tekla S. Perry, IEEE Spectrum, 4 Oct. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1942, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of backgrounder was in 1942

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Cite this Entry

“Backgrounder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/backgrounder. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.

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