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Definition of backdrop noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

backdrop

noun
 
/ˈbækdrɒp/
 
/ˈbækdrɑːp/
(British English also backcloth)
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  1. everything that can be seen around an event or scene
    • The mountains provided a dramatic backdrop for our picnic.
    Extra Examples
    • The Alps provided the perfect backdrop for a romantic holiday.
    • The beautiful gardens provided a scenic backdrop for the wedding ceremony.
    • The large bay has a superb backdrop of mountains.
    • The Irish Sea forms a backdrop to all the views to the south and east.
    • The events took place against the dramatic backdrop of the Atlas mountains.
    • The movie is set against the stunning backdrop of Lake Garda.
    • White walls provide the perfect backdrop for wooden furniture.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • dramatic
    • magnificent
    • perfect
    verb + backdrop
    • have
    • create
    • form
    preposition
    • against a/​the backdrop of
    • backdrop for
    • backdrop of
    See full entry
  2. the general conditions in which an event takes place, which sometimes help to explain that event
    • Her comments came against the backdrop of growing demand for vaccines.
    Extra Examples
    • The conference begins this week against a backdrop of unmitigated gloom.
    • Their lives played out against a historical backdrop of conflict.
    • War is more than just a dramatic backdrop to the novel.
    • Worsening economic conditions have created an unfavourable backdrop for global markets.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • dramatic
    • magnificent
    • perfect
    verb + backdrop
    • have
    • create
    • form
    preposition
    • against a/​the backdrop of
    • backdrop for
    • backdrop of
    See full entry
  3. a painted piece of cloth that is hung behind the stage in a theatre as part of the scenery
    • She was an artist who designed backdrops for movies and stage plays.
    • The photographer poses his subjects against painted backdrops.
    Topics Film and theatrec1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • dramatic
    • magnificent
    • perfect
    verb + backdrop
    • have
    • create
    • form
    preposition
    • against a/​the backdrop of
    • backdrop for
    • backdrop of
    See full entry
See backdrop in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee backdrop in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English

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