In art:

• Background (art), the part of a scene that appears to be farthest from the viewer
• Background lighting, a film technique

In computing:

• Background (computer software), software that is running but not being displayed
• Background, or desktop picture, is the image or colour displayed on a website or computer desktop behind the visible content

In web:

• Background (web html), Sets or retrieves up to five separate background properties of the object.

In philosophy of science:

• Operational definition, distinguishing an object from its background of observation, or identifying what is and what is not part of it

In physics:

• Background (astronomy), small amounts of light coming from otherwise dark parts of the sky
• Background radiation, the natural radiation that is always present in a location
• Cosmic microwave background radiation, a natural constant radiation emanating throughout the universe
• Background independence, a condition in theoretical physics

In imaging (photography, computer vision, medical imaging):

• Background, the part of an image that lies outside the object(s) of interest captured by the image and which form the foreground.

In music:

• Background (album), an album by Lifetime

In journalism it may also refer to:

• Background understanding, between a news source and a reporter on the privacy of a discussion

In animal feeding

• Backgrounding is a way of feeding livestock before selling them.