ambiance
Americannoun
plural
ambiances-
the mood, character, quality, tone, atmosphere, etc., particularly of an environment or milieu.
The restaurant had a delightful ambiance.
-
that which surrounds or encompasses; environment.
Related Words
See environment.
Etymology
Origin of ambiance
First recorded in 1885–95; from French, equivalent to ambi(ant) “surrounding” ( Middle French, also ambient ), from Latin; see ambient + -ance -ance
Explanation
An ambiance is the mood or setting of a place. You might like the ambiance of a certain restaurant because the lighting and decor makes you feel comfortable and happy. Ambiance is pronounced "AHM-bee-ahns." Most places have an ambiance made up of whatever sights, smells, sounds, and even sensations or textures fill the space. A fancy French restaurant gets its ambiance from the candlelight and chic black outfits worn by the wait staff while the diner off the highway might have a funky, retro ambiance because of its 1950s counter and jukebox full of golden oldies.
Vocabulary lists containing ambiance
Around and Around: Ambi
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amb, ambi
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Krik? Krak!
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Guppy said she learned that members of her Episcopalian church, St. Stephen’s Hollywood, had been detained during the raid of the Ambiance Apparel factory in downtown L.A.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 19, 2025
The areas surrounding downtown, which Solis represents, have been been hit particularly hard, amid protests, a curfew and a raid at Ambiance Apparel that ensnared dozens of people.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 17, 2025
Days earlier, another operation at Ambiance Apparel, a clothing wholesale business in the Fashion District near downtown LA, had set the city on edge.
From BBC • Jun. 11, 2025
Agents have raided several Home Depot locations as well as Ambiance Apparel in the garment district in downtown L.A. as part of a crackdown that led to the arrests of dozens of people.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2025
Although it’s unclear why Ambiance Apparel was targeted in the recent operation, the company landed on the radar of federal authorities more than a decade ago.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2025
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
