This Letter investigates the influence, on the molecular absorption of light, of surrounding chromophores. Two novel rate contributions are identified - one vanishing for a medium with no static dipole moment. The other, dynamic term is used to model a system of primary absorbers and secondary chromophores distributed in a host medium. Further modification provides a basis for modelling a case where the medium is, itself, marginally absorptive, thus accounting for optical losses as the input propagates through the surrounding host. The results facilitate tailoring of secondary chromophore and host effects in the pursuit of materials with specific absorption features. (C) 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license