gala

noun

ga·​la ˈgā-lə  ˈga-  ˈgä- 

1

: a festive celebration

especially : a public entertainment marking a special occasion

2

Gala : a medium-sized apple with crisp yellowish-white sweet flesh and a red skin or a golden skin with red striping

gala adjective

Synonyms of gala

• celebration
• festival
• festivity

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

Sandwiched between those two gala screenings will be the centerpiece screening of Takashi Yamazaki‘s Godzilla Minus Zero. — Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2026

The grand ballroom is a popular destination for events like galas and weddings, and smaller suites and meeting rooms are available for reservations. — Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 30 Sep. 2026

The trio will be presented with the award on January 15, on the eve of the main ceremony at the traditional Welcome Night gala dinner, taking place this edition at the Acropolis Museum housing some 4,000 artefacts dating as far back as 1,200 BCE. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2026

Things escalate as the two share a car ride home from a fancy gala and the bad man yells at her for embarrassing him. — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 28 Sep. 2026

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

Rhymes for gala

• calla
• palla
• salah
• valla
• valhalla
• walhalla

Kids Definition

gala

noun

ga·​la ˈgā-lə  ˈgal-ə 

: a festive celebration

gala adjective