foreground

noun

fore·ground | \ ˈfȯr-ˌgrau̇nd

Definition of foreground

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : the part of a scene or representation that is nearest to and in front of the spectator Objects in the foreground seem larger than those in the background.

2 : a position of prominence : forefront We want this issue to be in the foreground.

3 : a level of computer processing at which the processor responds immediately to input to a designated high-priority task — compare background

foreground

verb

foregrounded; foregrounding; foregrounds

Definition of foreground (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

: to bring to the foreground especially : to give prominence or emphasis to

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about foreground

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Examples of foreground in a Sentence

Noun We want the issue to be in the foreground. Verb Public discussion has foregrounded the issue of health care. repeatedly foregrounded his experience in international affairs in the course of his campaign for the presidency

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Creator Malcolm Spellman struggled to keep Sam in the foreground, but the sprawling tale lost focus. — Darren Franich, EW.com, "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," 23 Apr. 2021 This tapestry, inherited by her mother, depicts a woman pursued by an armed man in the background and, in the foreground, the same woman dead and disembowelled, stabbed by the man. — Eula Biss, The New Yorker, "Nathalie Léger’s Hall of Mirrors," 22 Apr. 2021 Astronauts in space also see the moon appearing to change size, even when there’s nothing in the foreground. — Natalie Hamilton, Smithsonian Magazine, "When Is Kente Cloth Worn and More Questions From Our Readers," 21 Apr. 2021 Solemnizing the scene, a flowered cross in the foreground memorializes a nameless someone lost to time. — Scott Cantrell, Dallas News, "Two Dallas art exhibitions humanize immigration controversies," 21 Apr. 2021 Smoke billows from a large steel plant as a Chinese labourer works at an unauthorized steel factory, foreground, on November 4, 2016 in Inner Mongolia, China. — Time, "What's at Stake in U.S. Climate Envoy John Kerry's Trip to China," 15 Apr. 2021 In the foreground is a dirt area between Friars Road and the new stadium that will be the site of a 400-room hotel planned during a later phase of the project. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Livestream of Aztec Stadium construction now available," 15 Apr. 2021 Two technicians or doctors (there is no voice-over narrative or other such overt editorial guidance) gossip in the foreground while a child on a table cries out in pain as a syringe is plunged into her abdomen. — BostonGlobe.com, "Doc Talk: Medical practice, paternity test, musical inspiration," 8 Apr. 2021 The show is a detective story in the foreground, with the political drama looming behind. — Ross Douthat New York Times, Star Tribune, "The 'almost-familiarity' for the U.S. in a story of Germany before the fall," 30 Mar. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Most of the narrators foreground the act of telling and ruminate on the intention behind and effects of disclosing secrets, putting inchoate impulses, fears, or yearnings into clear, logical prose. — BostonGlobe.com, "For Murakami, a return to form in ‘First Person Singular,’ a new story collection that sparkles," 1 Apr. 2021 There is a conceptual framework behind Ford’s decision to foreground the details of the crime. — Richard Brody, The New Yorker, "“Test Pattern,” Reviewed: A Brilliant Début Examines the Aftermath of Sexual Assault," 23 Feb. 2021 But for all of Cruse’s intellectual acumen and the more measured statements scattered throughout his book, his decision to foreground this grand narrative exacted severe damage on the popular understanding of Black intellectual and political life. — Brandon M. Terry, The New York Review of Books, "What Dignity Demands," 23 Feb. 2021 The house was designed to foreground the views from the surrounding landscape, but since the movie takes place at night, eyelines between the actors were Grasley’s priority. — Vanessa Lawrence, ELLE Decor, "This Stunning Eco-Friendly Home Is the Real Star of Netflix’s ‘Malcolm & Marie’," 12 Feb. 2021 To foreground authoritarianism in U.S. Russia policy is to ask three separate questions. — Michael Kimmage, The New Republic, "How Biden Can Achieve a Russian Restoration," 26 Jan. 2021 Though the director is often recognized for his bravura, his modesty—his ability to foreground his interlocutor—is perhaps one of his greatest skills as a filmmaker. — Naomi Fry, The New Yorker, "The Delights of New York, Fran Lebowitz, and Martin Scorsese’s Laugh," 18 Jan. 2021 Beauty brands have scrambled to foreground their eyeliner offerings, and countless stories have been published about how to play up peepers peering over PPE now that the mouth is no longer a viable focus. — April Long, Town & Country, "Why We're Still Wearing Lipstick," 4 Dec. 2020 Black lives matter, to be sure, but that’s all the more reason to foreground environmental-justice initiatives. — Lawrence Weschler, The Atlantic, "Beyond Climate Denial and Despair," 15 Oct. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'foreground.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.