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 of ambience

• aura
• atmosphere
• smell
• aroma
• air

Examples of ambience in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There’s something about a cigarette in the right kind of ambience that functions as a sort of aesthetic appendage. —Gabriella Onessimo, Allure, 23 Jan. 2026

For all the film’s lurid ambience and brutal action, there is something abstract about it, like the fulfillment of a literary conceit. —Richard Brody, New Yorker, 17 Jan. 2026

But even saving many of cinematographer Benjamin Kitchens’ most beautiful shots for the end of the film, Prows seems to run out of plot as the finale fades into ambience. —Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 16 Jan. 2026

Lighting can make or break the ambience of your space. —Melissa Breyer, Martha Stewart, 16 Jan. 2026

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