noun

ambience

AM-bee-uhnss

Ambience (noun) means the mood or atmosphere of a place, created by things such as lighting, sound, decor and the people in it. Example: “The candlelight gave the restaurant a warm ambience.”

noun

The mood or atmosphere of a place, created by things such as lighting, sound, decor and the people in it.

"The candlelight gave the restaurant a warm ambience."

"We loved the food, but the ambience was ruined by the strip lighting."

technical In sound recording, the background sound naturally present in a space, captured to give a recording a sense of place.

"The engineer added a little room ambience to the vocal track."

"They recorded thirty seconds of ambience before the interview."

How to Use Ambience

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe overall feel of a place.

When to use it

Neutral and common in reviews, hospitality and interior design writing.

Memory tip

The related adjective is 'ambient', as in ambient light or ambient music.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

ambiance → atmosphere → ambient →

Common pairings

warm ambience relaxed ambience create an ambience ambience of the room

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

The candlelight gave the restaurant a warm _____.

Etymology

From French ambiance, from ambiant 'surrounding', ultimately from Latin ambire 'to go around'.

Origin: French

Synonyms

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atmosphere mood feel vibe aura room tone atmos background sound

Related Words

feel music air experience feeling touch handle climate

Rhymes for ambience

hence fence whence thence Spence valence absence science silence defence essence opulence

See all rhymes for ambience →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between ambience and ambiance?

They are the same word with two spellings. 'Ambience' is the anglicised form and the more common spelling in general English, while 'ambiance' keeps the French form and is often chosen in writing about design, restaurants and art.

What is the difference between ambience and atmosphere?

They overlap almost completely when describing a place's feel. 'Atmosphere' is the broader word and can also describe the air around a planet or the emotional tension of an event, whereas 'ambience' is nearly always about the designed feel of a physical space.

Is ambience countable?

Usually not. You normally say 'the ambience' or 'a relaxed ambience' in the singular; 'ambiences' is rare and sounds awkward outside technical sound work.

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