ambient

American  

[am-bee-uhnt] / ˈæm bi ənt /

adjective

1. of the surrounding area or environment: The temperature in the display case was 20° lower than the ambient temperature.

   Your voice mail picked up some ambient noise from airplanes and lawn mowers.

   The temperature in the display case was 20° lower than the ambient temperature.

2. completely surrounding; enveloping.

   Many pollutants are present in ambient air in relatively low concentrations.

3. creating a certain reaction or mood, often a subconscious one, by being wherever people tend to be.

   ambient advertising on a shopping cart.

4. pertaining to or noting sounds that create a peaceful and relaxed atmosphere.

   I stream ambient ocean sounds to help me fall asleep.

5. pertaining to or noting close and constant social contact and communication fostered by the internet or the use of digital devices.

   social media sites that enable ambient intimacy and awareness.

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noun

1. ambient music.

ambient British  

/ ˈæmbɪənt /

adjective

1. of or relating to the immediate surroundings

   the ambient temperature was 15°C

2. creating a relaxing atmosphere

   ambient music

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noun

1. informal ambient music

Other Word Forms

• unambient adjective
• unambiently adverb

Etymology

Origin of ambient

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin ambient- (stem of ambiēns, present participle of ambīre “to go around”), equivalent to amb- ambi- + -i- “go” + -ent- -ent

Explanation

Ambient is an adjective used to describe an aspect of the environment that completely surrounds you, but in a mellow way, like ambient music played softly throughout a restaurant, or the ambient orange glow during a setting sun. Ambient describes some pervasive quality of the surrounding environment, like the ambient lighting in a movie theater, or the ambient temperature of a room. Most times when you’re hearing silence, you’re hearing some ambient noises too, like the hum of a refrigerator or the whistle of a breeze. Usually ambient describes a quiet or peaceful quality, but it can be aggressive too, like the ambient drone of war planes flying above that you can hear no matter where you hide.

Example Sentences

This makes it a welcome passenger on lazy day trips or late-night drives, and a generally acceptable ambient addition to crowded good times.

From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026

The frustration was broader, an ambient sense of national failure in the air.

From Slate • Mar. 26, 2026

Instead of relying on heavy metal catalysts, the reaction is activated by an LED lamp at ambient temperature.

From Science Daily • Mar. 14, 2026

It extended the Clean Air Act to areas that already have clean air—ones that meet the protective “national ambient air quality standards” set by the Environmental Protection Agency.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

Anyway, the ambient radiation was already too bad by then for freestyle.

From "Feed" by M.T. Anderson

Related Words

• atmosphere
• environment
• feeling
• mood
• surroundings
• trend