Word of the week: Ambience (variant: Ambiance)

\ˈam-bē-ən(t)s, ˈäm-bē-än(t)s\
Function: noun
Etymology: French ambiance, from ambiant ambient
Date: 1889
: a feeling or mood associated with a particular place, person, or thing
Use this instead of the word "atmosphere" when describing.

While it may be a form of "ambient", be careful in assuming the meanings are the same. Ambient is "encompassing" or "on all sides". While you can see the similarity, these words would not be interchangeable depending on the usage of speech. "Ambiance" is a feeling, a mood. "Ambient" is a descriptive term for a noun, as in "ambient music" or ambient lighting".

It would seem this is a two-for-one word week, so use both "ambiance" and "ambient" this week, impressing your friends and co-workers.