gala

noun

1
: a festive celebration
especially : a public entertainment marking a special occasion
2
capitalized : a medium-sized apple with crisp yellowish-white sweet flesh and a red skin or a golden skin with red striping
gala adjective

Examples of gala in a Sentence

a grand gala celebrating the town's centennial attended the gala celebrating the reopening of the museum
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Related Stories As Country of Honor, Japan will co-host the market’s opening night — an industry gala drawing more than 1,200 global delegates — and feature across its flagship programs. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 28 Oct. 2025 For grabbing the pony’s reins, calming its nerves and building a business profile to match its brand profile, Louvet is taking home this year’s WWD Edward Nardoza Honor for CEO Creative Leadership at the WWD Honors gala. Evan Clark, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2025 Hamdi was on a national speaking tour and was leaving California after speaking at a CAIR gala in Sacramento when he was detained, Reuters reported. Brieanna J. Frank, USA Today, 27 Oct. 2025 On Saturday, Hamdi had spoken at CAIR’s annual gala in Sacramento, California, and had been due to speak at the gala of CAIR Florida the next day. Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for gala

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, borrowed from Spanish, "elegance, pomp, occasion marked by display," borrowed from Middle French gale "festivity, pleasure" — more at gallant entry 1

First Known Use

1777, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of gala was in 1777

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gala.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gala. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

gala

noun
: a festive celebration
gala adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on gala

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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