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

At The Hollywood Reporter’s Women in Entertainment gala earlier this month, Paltrow got choked up saying that the industry has welcomed her back. —Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 7 Jan. 2026

At that gala, those documentary-feature people could actually be the honorees at the gala. —Kansas City Star, 7 Jan. 2026

Their relationship started with a blind date at a fundraising gala at the Yerba Buena Center in 2006, and within 18 months, Newsom had proposed with a Tiffany diamond ring. —Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026

The Australian couple tied the knot in June 2006, after meeting the year prior at the G'Day USA gala in Los Angeles. —Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Jan. 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