ambient noise

British

noun

the level of the total noise in an area

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

It said: "In addition, however, we are concerned that even moderate ambient noise – staff chatter, footsteps, laughter, and bar service activity – will be directly audible within the studio."

From BBC • Jul. 23, 2025

As it is today, the system can have trouble with people’s accents and ambient noise, making it hard to recognize speech and translate it into text.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2024

I will have to start wearing noise-canceling earbuds, but that means I will lose out on enjoying the ambient noise of the game.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 28, 2024

Not only does capturing ambient noise enable noise canceling, it also provides contextual information about the patients' surrounding environments, which is particularly important when treating premature babies.

From Science Daily • Nov. 16, 2023

I sign Benefo’s request to Autumn amid the ambient noise.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023