ambient lighting

Meanings

1. 1noununcountabletechnical

   The soft, general light that fills a space, rather than a bright beam aimed at one spot.

   Grammar: Uncountable: the room has soft ambient lighting.

   Patterns

   • ambient lighting in somewhere

   The restaurant uses warm ambient lighting to create a cozy mood.

   Good ambient lighting reduces harsh shadows in the room.

   Dimmers let you adjust the ambient lighting in the lounge.

2. 2noununcountabletechnical

   In photography and film, the natural or existing light in a scene, without extra lamps or flashes.

   Grammar: Uncountable and technical: shot using only ambient lighting.

   He shot the portrait using only ambient lighting.

   Ambient lighting made the night scene look natural.

Common combinations

soft ambient lighting

Soft ambient lighting made the lounge feel calm.

dim ambient lighting

The cafe used dim ambient lighting in the evening.

warm ambient lighting

Warm ambient lighting suited the bedroom.

ambient lighting and task lighting

A kitchen needs both ambient lighting and task lighting.

Synonyms and how they differ

general lighting

General lighting is the plain term, while ambient lighting is common in design and film.

background lighting

Background lighting may refer to light behind a subject, whereas ambient lighting fills the whole room.

mood lighting

Mood lighting is chosen for atmosphere, while ambient lighting is simply the main general light.

Opposites

Word family

ambient adjective

relating to the surroundings

ambience noun

the character or atmosphere of a place

lighting noun

the way a space is lit

Commonly confused: ambient lighting or ambiance?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “ambient lighting”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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