background _noun

1-) the experiences, knowledge, education, etc., in a person’s life

ADJECTIVES & NOUNS 

social
・Universities aim to attract students from a wide range of social backgrounds.

different
・The two women come from totally different backgrounds.

ethnic, cultural, religious 
・London has people from every ethnicbackground.

class, socio-economic 
・Smokers often come from poorer socio-economic backgrounds.
・Class background is an important factor when it comes to jobs.

a working-class, middle-class, upper-class 
・She came from a comfortable middle-class background and she had never had to deal with these problems.

poor, deprived, disadvantaged 
・The school has a high percentage of children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
・His poor background made it more difficult for him to become a doctor.

wealthy, privileged 
・All the top jobs were taken by people from privileged backgrounds.

family 
・Many kids lack a stable family background.

professional
・Managers can come from a wide range of professional backgrounds.

educational, academic 
・The interviewer will ask you about your educational background and work experience.

VERBS

have  
・She has a scientific background, but is very interested in the arts.

PREPOSITIONS

from 
・Young people from a wealthy background are more likely to go to university.

in
・Students with a background in chemistry will probably find the course easier.

PHRASES

come from a background
・Mark and I came from very similar backgrounds.

a range of backgrounds 
・People from a wide range of backgrounds go to watch football.

2-) the circumstances that help to explain why something happens

VERBS

give, provide 
・The guide gives a detailed background to the history of the area.

explain
・Let me explain the background to the decision.

form
・The work I did in 2005 forms the background to this research.

ADJECTIVES

historical, political 
・The article provides the historical background to the war.

NOUNS

information, details
・He was able to give background information about the events leading up to the accident.
・A visitors’ centre provides background details about the history of the abbey.

knowledge
・The students did not have any background knowledge of the subject.

reading
・This book is good background reading for anyone interested in military history.

PREPOSITIONS

for
・His experiences during the war provided the background for much of his work.

to
・The background to these concerns has been a deepening crisis in the economy.

against 
・The decision was made against a background of political tension.