ambience

noun

am·​bi·​ence ˈam-bē-ən(t)s 

ˈäm-bē-än(t)s

variants or ambiance

: a feeling or mood associated with a particular place, person, or thing : atmosphere

The restaurant's soft music and candlelight gave it a romantic ambience.

Synonyms

• air
• aroma
• atmosphere
• aura
• climate
• flavor
• halo
• karma
• mood
• nimbus
• note
• odor
• patina
• smell
• temper
• vibration(s)

Examples of ambience in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The ambience of the nearby commercial street owed much to iron grates and plywood. —Murr Brewster, Christian Science Monitor, 16 Apr. 2025

But lighting your home for mood and ambience is no longer limited by power outlets and length of cords. —Miles Walls, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Apr. 2025

Kang seldom imbues her scenes with a calming ambience or atmosphere — a sense of buzz, of metropolitical life, or of nature, to fill the space — leading to an eeriness that Yeong-gyeong feels compelled to counteract with words. —Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 19 Feb. 2025

The bedrooms are awash in calming sand tones with dark wood ceiling beams above and the general ambience takes cues from nature. —Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 7 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

in part from ambi(ent) entry 1 + -ence, in part borrowed from French ambiance (from ambiant "ambient" + -ance -ance)

First Known Use

1648, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for ambience

• ambiance

Kids Definition

ambience

noun

am·​bi·​ence

variants or ambiance

ˈam-bē-ən(t)s  ˈäm-bē-än(t)s 

: a feeling or mood that is related to a particular place, person, or thing