foreground

[ fawr-ground ]

noun

1. the ground or parts situated, or represented as situated, in the front; the portion of a scene or picture nearest to the viewer ( background ).
2. a prominent or important position; forefront.

verb (used with object)

1. to put in the foreground:

   The fact that the central character is Italian is not foregrounded.

foreground

/ ˈfɔːˌɡraʊnd /

noun

1. the part of a scene situated towards the front or nearest to the viewer
2. the area of space in a perspective picture, depicted as nearest the viewer
3. a conspicuous or active position

verb

1. tr to emphasize (an issue, idea, or word)

Word History and Origins

Origin of foreground¹

First recorded in 1685–95; fore- + ground ¹

Example Sentences

The same restrictions that shut down so many less enchanting pastimes created space for this one, nudging the delightful creatures that had always been present—chipping and singing, sand bathing, and nesting—into the foreground.

From Quartz

More haunting than her seemingly lifeless body are the three looming figures in the foreground, spectators to her attack.

From Vox

When you scroll resources such as large images off-screen in the foreground tab, Chrome discards the memory those resources used.

From Ars Technica

Even with Photoshop doing its best to match the colors between the sky and the foreground, this is never going to work—the lighting is off even on Adobe’s official help site.

From Popular-Science

These issues are likely to come to the foreground after the election is over.

From FiveThirtyEight

Dan worked hard and made a good picture: mountains, timber, blue sky…and in the foreground a blond girl and a unicorn.

From The Daily Beast

Ladder 118 looks small on the Brooklyn Bridge; in the foreground both towers billow soot.

From The Daily Beast

So of course, we start swimming toward it because I wanted the underwater camera guy to shoot me in the foreground of this shark.

From The Daily Beast

It never was until I started performing live myself that I had to be in the foreground.

From The Daily Beast

Foreground figures in “Street” are wildly out of focus, which is normally a feature that we only see in still photographs.

From The Daily Beast

Nothing will be easier then to throw the Poles into the shade of the picture, or to occupy the foreground with a brilliant review.

From Project Gutenberg

But agitation unlocks wayward fancies and sends them scurrying inopportunely across the very foreground of the mind.

From Project Gutenberg

In the foreground was a large house of two stories and no architecture whatever, although the roof was mercifully flat.

From Project Gutenberg

The scene is very amusing, and most of the interest centres in the foreground, where a coach is seen, about to start.

From Project Gutenberg

Sylvan scenes, with a dash of human savagery in the foreground, form the best relief for a too-extended assimilation of books.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• forefront