ambient music

American  

noun

1. Also called ambient.  a genre of instrumental music that focuses on sound patterns more than melodic form and is used to create a certain atmosphere or state of mind.

2. background music.

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Etymology

Origin of ambient music

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

Shimizu is an exploratory jazz musician who has of late gained popularity for his television scores and inoffensively ambient music that employs soporific electronics.

From Los Angeles Times

I’ve written so many songs while getting a massage in the mall, because there’s always ambient music that you can’t totally make out.

From Los Angeles Times

It is conceived as a tribute to Brian Eno's album Music for Airports, released in 1979, which is seen as a defining moment in the growth of ambient music, a genre which is supposed to provide a calming influence on listeners, while also being easy to ignore.

From BBC

“Now bring it up to your heartspace, connecting to your heart,” she continued, as ambient music droned in the background.

From Los Angeles Times

The meditative sleep stories that transport the listener to far-flung destinations en route to the Land of Nod are accompanied by ambient music and narrated by host Tom Jones, who first began “Get Sleepy” as a local radio show in southern England.

From New York Times