backlight

[ bak-lahyt ]

noun

1. Movies, Television. a light source placed behind an actor, object, or scene to create a highlight that separates the subject from the background:

   Put a backlight on that rain to make it more visible in this evening shot.

2. Electronics. the light source, often LED arrays, behind the screen of a flat-screen electronic display, as a television, computer monitor, or smartphone:

   A full-array LED backlight gives the picture a deeper color range than an edge-lit screen would.

verb (used with object)

, back·light·ed or back·lit, back·light·ing.

1. to illuminate from behind: The hallway lamp backlit Mom when she cracked our bedroom door to check on us and whisper goodnight.

   One of the wedding photos is just a silhouette of the couple backlighted by the sunset on the beach.

   The hallway lamp backlit Mom when she cracked our bedroom door to check on us and whisper goodnight.

Word History and Origins

Origin of backlight¹

First recorded in 1950–55; back ¹ + light ¹

Example Sentences

Should the sunset properly backlight a small waterfall known as Horsetail Fall just so, the cascading water becomes a “firefall,” taking on an orange glow that can appear very lava-like.

From Los Angeles Times

"The study has shown that a reduction of blue light emission from LED backlight screens of mobile phones during the night leads to improved subjective quality of sleep in students, as well as improvement in daytime functioning and going to sleep," the authors concluded.

From Salon

Where once the bar had fluorescent bulbs to backlight it, now it uses eco-friendly LED lights.

From New York Times

Now, we can measure their distance and their composition using this GRB 'backlight'.

From BBC

The goal was to refute a defense expert who said moving an iPhone causes its backlight to come on.

From Seattle Times