ambient
Americanadjective
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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.
-
completely surrounding; enveloping.
Many pollutants are present in ambient air in relatively low concentrations.
-
creating a certain reaction or mood, often a subconscious one, by being wherever people tend to be.
ambient advertising on a shopping cart.
-
pertaining to or noting sounds that create a peaceful and relaxed atmosphere.
I stream ambient ocean sounds to help me fall asleep.
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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.
noun
adjective
-
of or relating to the immediate surroundings
the ambient temperature was 15°C
-
creating a relaxing atmosphere
ambient music
noun
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
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.
The frustration was broader, an ambient sense of national failure in the air.
From Slate • Mar. 26, 2026
"Even the first nanopixels were stable for two weeks under ambient conditions," says Bert Hecht, describing the result.
From Science Daily • Mar. 4, 2026
Instead of narration, unobtrusive captions appeared on screen with price, provenance or other details about various market items, leaving room for the ambient sounds to come to the fore.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 4, 2026
If you manage to spot the Moon and want to take a picture make sure you turn off the flash on your phone, activate night mode and use ambient light.
From BBC • Jan. 30, 2026
Janice simply ignored them, directing us instead, figuring in her head the positions of the preachers, the crowd, Kwang, paletting their various skin tones into an ambient mix for the media.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
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.
