foreground

noun fore·ground \ ˈfȯr-ˌgrau̇nd \

|Updated on: 18 Aug 2018

Examples: foreground in a Sentence

Definition of foreground

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

See foreground defined for English-language learners

See foreground defined for kids

Examples of foreground in a Sentence

We want the issue to be in the foreground.

Recent Examples of foreground from the Web

Muñoz loves giving tours of the warehouse for that very reason – the background becomes the foreground.

— jordan cutler-tietjen, sacbee, "Behind the scenes at Music Circus: "The better you are at your job, the less people notice"," 6 July 2018
Between two big foreground trees, an eccentric detail stands out.

— christopher knight, latimes.com, "Grafton Tyler Brown's California scenes at Pasadena museum's final show," 30 June 2018
Additional imagery will span massive water screens in the foreground on the lagoon.

— arthur levine, USA TODAY, "Universal Orlando celebrates movies in new nighttime show," 22 June 2018
Fugard places issues of trust and loyalty in the foreground in front of the looming spectre of the harsh governing white minority forcing the characters into grim consolations.

— marcus crowder, San Francisco Chronicle, "Athol Fugard’s apartheid drama ‘Lesson From Aloes’ in S.F. just brilliant," 8 June 2018
Where once the grapes were the foreground and the place the background, now the place is the subject, and the grapes merely a means of transmission.

— adam gopnik, The New Yorker, "A Vintner’s Quest to Create a Truly American Wine," 14 May 2018
Although an employee took the photo, many commenters joked that one smiling pooch in the foreground appeared to be snapping a selfie.

— michelle ewing, ajc, "LOOK: Dogs smile for the camera in viral daycare 'selfie'," 13 May 2018
As a shirtless Glover twists and contorts his body in exaggerated, sometimes humorous ways in the video's foreground, mayhem runs rampant in the background.

— candace mcduffie, Glamour, "Let's Acknowledge the Artists That Paved the Way for Donald Glover's 'This Is America'," 8 May 2018
The foreground of this film is the audience’s anxiety — tension.

— simon abrams, The Hollywood Reporter, "Did 'A Quiet Place' Take Enough Risks?," 16 Apr. 2018

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.

First Known Use of foreground

1695

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

foreground

verb

Definition of foreground

foregrounded; foregrounding; foregrounds

transitive verb

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

See foreground defined for English-language learners

Examples of foreground in a Sentence

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 of foreground from the Web

The second season of GLOW, which was released in its entirety late last month, continues to foreground Ruth and Debbie’s relationship, culminating in a moment of violence and a furious, ugly fight in a hospital room.

— sophie gilbert, The Atlantic, "The Love Story of Debbie and Ruth," 10 July 2018
This doorstop of a biography foregrounds Obama’s love life in his early years, traces his journey-to-blackness narrative and seeks to challenge the near-monopoly the 44th president has on stories about his own life.

— joumana khatib, New York Times, "New in Paperback: ‘Rising Star,’ ‘Mrs. Fletcher’," 8 June 2018
Still, Killing Eve cleverly resists the temptation to foreground the possibility of Villanelle’s redemption.

— hannah giorgis, The Atlantic, "Killing Eve and the Riddle of Why Women Kill," 28 May 2018
Writer-director Tully (Septien, Ping Pong Summer) is interested in exploring several themes within the film’s surreal dream logic, but nothing is foregrounded more than good old-fashioned Catholic guilt.

— bryan bishop, The Verge, "Don’t Leave Home is a wonderfully atmospheric waking nightmare," 6 May 2018
And while every character does get a laugh, a heroic choice, or some other moment to shine, fans will no doubt be frustrated if their particular favorite hero isn’t foregrounded as much as other characters are.

— bryan bishop, The Verge, "Avengers: Infinity War is stunning, hilarious, and heartbreaking," 24 Apr. 2018
In the book, King provides needed perspective on nonviolent resistance, and prods readers to foreground their political attitudes and actions in ethics and intellectual consistency.

— time staff, Time, "10 Historians on What People Still Don't Know About Martin Luther King Jr.," 4 Apr. 2018
The class divide that plays a major role in contemporary Iranian films is foregrounded here.

— deborah young, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Dressage': Film Review | Berlin 2018," 2 Mar. 2018
Unlike most scientific studies, Bonta and Gosford’s team foregrounded their research in traditional Indigenous ecological knowledge.

— george nicholas, Smithsonian, "When Scientists “Discover” What Indigenous People Have Always Known," 22 Feb. 2018