As a Noun: 1. The kind of family you come from and the kind of education and work experience you have had. English = background. 2. The things, shapes, or colours in a picture or scene that are less noticeable or less important and are often partly hidden by the main things or people in it. English = background. 3. The pictures, lights, furniture and so on at the back of a stage in the theatre. English = scenery.