(pronounced AM-bee-ehnt or AM-bee-uhnt)

An adjective that describes a sensory element — whether it be light, sound, smell or touch (commonly in the form of temperature) — in regard to one’s environment. This characteristic envelops those who experience it. Enough with the mumbo-jumbo already — let’s use it in some sentences.

EXAMPLE: So that visitors would have adequate ambient light in which to study, the lighting designer planned for evenly spaced fluorescent lighting throughout the library. Since the ambient noise in the stacks would be extremely low, she was sensitive to the possibility of lamp buzz related to the fluorescent fixtures. However, since fluorescent lighting gives off little heat compared to incandescent sources, the designer knew the lamps would contribute little to the ambient temperature of the library.