fore·ground
ˈfȯr-ˌgrau̇nd 
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
foregrounded; foregrounding; foregrounds
: 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
Davey Winder, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
In Sherman’s first cover for the magazine, for the March 24, 2025, issue, the woman is rendered in Sherman’s signature style but the viewer’s eye is initially drawn to a large tea cup in the foreground.
—Françoise Mouly, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2025
Courtney Crowder, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2025
Two excellent new books focus on abolition’s complicated aftermath, foregrounding the experiences of the formerly enslaved.
—Barbara Spindel, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foreground
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Noun
Finally, the apps can start without user interaction, something else that’s not meant to be technically possible in Android 13, as well as showing ads over other applications in the foreground.
—Davey Winder, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
In Sherman’s first cover for the magazine, for the March 24, 2025, issue, the woman is rendered in Sherman’s signature style but the viewer’s eye is initially drawn to a large tea cup in the foreground.
—Françoise Mouly, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2025
Verb
Over the last 15 years or so, designers have increasingly sought to celebrate different types of beauty — allowing models to foreground themselves and to break free from a mold of conformity that too often was white and over-thin.
—Courtney Crowder, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2025
Two excellent new books focus on abolition’s complicated aftermath, foregrounding the experiences of the formerly enslaved.
—Barbara Spindel, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foreground
Cite this Entry
“Foreground.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foreground. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.
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