[am-bee-uh
ns; Fr. ahn-byahns] 
[am-bee-uhns; Fr. ahn-byahns] [-bee-uhn-siz; Fr. -byahns] . | 1. | the mood, character, quality, tone, atmosphere, etc., particularly of an environment or milieu: The restaurant had a delightful ambiance. |
| 2. | that which surrounds or encompasses; environment. |
| am·bi·ance also am·bi·ence (ām'bē-əns, äɴ-byäɴs') n. The special atmosphere or mood created by a particular environment: "The noir ambience is dominated by low-key lighting . . . and deep shadows, creating feelings of disorientation, loneliness and entrapment" (UCLA Film/TV Archive). [French, from ambiant, surrounding, from Latin ambiēns, ambient-; see ambient.] |
| am·bi·ence (ām'bē-əns, äɴ-byäɴs') n. Variant of ambiance. |