adjective / noun
ambient
AM-bee-uhnt/ˈæmbiənt/
Belonging to the surrounding atmosphere.
The ambient mist envelops the woman, bench, shrubs, and nearby tree.
Etymology
The image of “going around” developed into “encircling” or “lying all around.” Ambient conditions are therefore those surrounding someone or something in the immediate environment.
In context
acclimatize to the Studio's relative humidity as the painting is now flat we'd like to keep it that way and simply leaving it in ambient temperature and humidity will cause it to distort and ripple
More examples
- An ambient microphone records the sounds of the room.
- Soft ambient music plays while the gallery visitors wander.
- The composer works mainly in ambient, favoring texture over rhythm.
Similar words
- surrounding
- Describes location around something without the musical sense.
- atmospheric
- Can evoke a mood without referring to measurable environmental conditions.