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Formation vs Background - What's the difference?

formation | background |

As nouns the difference between formation and background

is that formation is formation while background is one's social heritage; what one did in the past/previously.

As a verb background is

to put in a position that is not prominent.

formation

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • Something possessing structure or form.
  • The act of assembling a group or structure.
  • (geology) A rock or face of a mountain.
  • (military) A grouping of military units or smaller formations under a command, such as a brigade, division, wing, etc.
  • (military) An arrangement of moving troops, ships, or aircraft, such as a wedge, line abreast, or echelon. Often "in formation".
  • The process of influencing or guiding a person to a deeper understanding of a particular vocation.
  • Synonyms

    * (military grouping of units) battle group, brigade group, task force, combat team * (military arrangement of forces) tactical formation, battle formation

    background

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • One's social heritage; what one did in the past/previously.
  • A part of the picture that depicts scenery to the rear or behind the main subject; context.
  • * {{quote-magazine, year=2013, month=May-June, author= William E. Conner
  • , title= An Acoustic Arms Race , volume=101, issue=3, page=206-7, magazine=(American Scientist) , passage=Earless ghost swift moths become “invisible” to echolocating bats by forming mating clusters close
  • Information relevant to the current situation about past events; history.
  • A less important feature of scenery (as opposed to foreground).
  • (computing) The image or color, over which a computer's desktop items are shown (e.g. icons or application windows).
  • (computing) Activity on a computer that is not normally visible to the user.
  • Derived terms

    * on background * background fodder

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To put in a position that is not prominent