foreground

1 of 2

noun

fore·​ground ˈfȯr-ˌgrau̇nd How to pronounce foreground (audio)
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

2 of 2

verb

foregrounded; foregrounding; foregrounds

transitive verb

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

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
Ironically, this teleporting spike ends up a roving metaphor, too malleable and too removed to echo the characters in the foreground. Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 10 Mar. 2024 Without spoiling it, the last shot of the film is played through a car window with Jackie in the foreground and Lou going through this great bit of business in the background that goes on for a very long time. Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024 League insiders believe a limited pool of sellers (Charlotte, Washington, Atlanta and Brooklyn at the foreground) could inflate some prices. Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 2 Feb. 2024 His mother stands in the foreground, gazing at the camera. Jonathan Blitzer, The New Yorker, 17 Feb. 2024 Portrait: The portrait mode will focus on a subject that’s in the foreground (like a person), and blur the background slightly. David Nield, Popular Science, 7 Feb. 2024 Porter’s three kids sit in the foreground of her campaign against fellow Democratic Reps. Barbara Lee of Oakland and Adam B. Schiff of Burbank, as well as Republican and former Dodger Steve Garvey, in California’s 2024 Senate race. Benjamin Oreskes, Los Angeles Times, 2 Feb. 2024 But McQuay painted people and a dog in the foreground to do so. Rachel Stone, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024 With factors like these in the foreground, the new, sandwich-specific MyPlate was developed in partnership with several organizations that know how important sandwiches are in the American diet. Sarah Garone, Health, 29 Jan. 2024
Verb
By contrast, shows and films that foreground male journalists—The Newsroom, All the President's Men, Network, The Hour, the final season of The Wire—tend to be straightforward dramas, unbeholden to assumptions about a gendered audience. TIME, 14 Mar. 2024 And while the formats vary, the common denominator centers on foregrounding the intersectionality of their identities as 21st century visual creators. Amy Carleton, Charlotte Observer, 29 Feb. 2024 Don’t miss Sofonisba Anguissola’s compelling portrait of a noblewoman, made in the mid-16th century, in a gallery devoted to portraiture that foregrounds power (which also includes great works by Holbein, Lucas Cranach the Elder and Bronzino). Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 18 Jan. 2024 There remains a cultural need for narratives that foreground the AIDS epidemic, that acknowledge the horrors of the Holocaust and slavery. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Oct. 2023 One way is to foreground your obsessive commitment to the role—but even that can strike a false note. Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2024 Such a strategy might help foreground the play’s historical roots. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2024 The season has been dropping small references to the Rust Cohle/Marty Hart story, and here the homages get foregrounded. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 18 Feb. 2024 The episode foregrounds figures who have spent most of their screen time so far providing support to the protagonists; here, they’re shown to have their own lives and worries. Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 16 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'foreground.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1695, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1892, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of foreground was in 1695

Dictionary Entries Near foreground

Cite this Entry

“Foreground.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foreground. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

foreground

noun
fore·​ground
ˈfō(ə)r-ˌgrau̇nd,
ˈfȯ(ə)r-
: the part of a scene or picture that is nearest to and in front of the viewer

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