noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈbækˌstɔːɹi/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:/ˈbækˌstɔɹi/
1
noun
Meaning 1
The previous experiences and life of a person, specifically (narratology, especially in film, television) a character in a dramatic work.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
What’s the backstory of our new colleague?
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: background story
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A fictitious account of a person's history designed to conceal their actual history and motives.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: espionage, government, law-enforcement, military, politics, war
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: cover story
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From back- (prefix meaning ‘in, into, or towards the past’) + story.
Across languages
Translations
35 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Afrikaans:
agtergrond
— previous experiences and life of a person
Afrikaans:
agtergrondinligting
— previous experiences and life of a person
Afrikaans:
agtergrondverhaal
— previous experiences and life of a person
Arabic:
خلفية درامية
— previous experiences and life of a person
Bengali:
পিছনের গল্প
(pichoner golpo)
— previous experiences and life of a person
Chinese Cantonese:
背景故仔
(bui3 ging2 gu2 zai2)
— previous experiences and life of a person
Chinese Mandarin:
背景故事
(bèijǐng gùshì)
— previous experiences and life of a person
Finnish:
taustatarina
— previous experiences and life of a person
French:
toile de fond
— previous experiences and life of a person
German:
Backstory
— previous experiences and life of a person
German:
Hintergrundgeschichte
— previous experiences and life of a person
German:
Vorgeschichte
— previous experiences and life of a person
Hungarian:
előtörténet
— previous experiences and life of a person
Hungarian:
háttértörténet
— previous experiences and life of a person
Japanese:
背景
(haikei)
— previous experiences and life of a person
Japanese:
裏話
(urabanashi)
— previous experiences and life of a person
Japanese:
バックストーリー
(bakkusutōrī)
— previous experiences and life of a person
Korean:
뒷이야기
(dwisiyagi)
— previous experiences and life of a person
Macedonian:
предисто́рија
(predistórija)
— previous experiences and life of a person
Malay:
latar tempat
— previous experiences and life of a person
Persian:
پیشینه داستان
— previous experiences and life of a person
Polish:
historia
— previous experiences and life of a person
Polish:
przedakcja
— previous experiences and life of a person
Polish:
realia
— previous experiences and life of a person
Portuguese:
história de fundo
— previous experiences and life of a person
Punjabi:
ਪਿੱਠ-ਕਹਾਣੀ
(piṭṭha-kahāṇī)
— previous experiences and life of a person
Russian:
предысто́рия
(predystórija)
— previous experiences and life of a person
Spanish:
historia de fondo
— previous experiences and life of a person
Swedish:
bakgrundsberättelse
— previous experiences and life of a person
Swedish:
bakgrundshistoria
— previous experiences and life of a person
Ukrainian:
передісто́рія
(peredistórija)
— previous experiences and life of a person
Finnish:
peitetarina
— fictitious account of a person's history designed to conceal their actual history and motives
French:
couverture
— fictitious account of a person's history designed to conceal their actual history and motives
Polish:
legenda
— fictitious account of a person's history designed to conceal their actual history and motives
Russian:
леге́нда
(legénda)
— fictitious account of a person's history designed to conceal their actual history and motives
