gala

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noun ga·la \ ˈgā-lə , ˈga- , ˈgä- \

Definition of gala

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

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gala

adjective

See gala defined for English-language learners

See gala defined for kids

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 of gala from the Web

Bannon was slated to come to last year’s ZOA gala, but didn’t show up.

— rosie gray, The Atlantic, "Steve Bannon to Speak at ZOA Gala," 28 Aug. 2017
Ray Foster, a former village president and plan commissioner in Oconomowoc Lake, and the husband of the late AngelsGrace gala organizer Anne Foster, died Thursday, Aug. 24, at the age of 86.

— milwaukee, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Ray Foster remembered for his service, leadership, and caring personality," 28 Aug. 2017
Local restaurants generously donate their time and cuisine to provide gala guests with the best in culinary small plates.

— faye reeder, star-telegram, "Annual fundraiser supports Carroll students on all campuses," 26 Aug. 2017
At the moment, just three galas remain on the schedule, in addition to a luncheon, a charity brunch and a lecture put on by a Palm Beach nonprofit.

— david a. fahrenthold, Washington Post, "Florida hospital’s foundation cancels luncheon at Mar-a-Lago, becoming 18th charity to withdraw from Trump’s club," 24 Aug. 2017
Mar-a-Lago, Trump's private club in Palm Beach, Fla., lost at least 10 of the 16 galas or dinner events it had been scheduled to host next winter in the wake of Trump's controversial response to a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va.

— the washington post, NOLA.com, "Republican committees pay almost $1.3 million to Trump-owned entities," 22 Aug. 2017
The events included a Feb. 20 dinner for donors and sponsors and a Feb. 22 gala.

— atlanta life, ajc, "American Cancer Society moves event from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago," 18 Aug. 2017
The magazine will hold an Inc. 5000 conference and gala for all the honorees in Palm Springs, California from Oct. 10-12.

— kelly poe, AL.com, "59 Alabama companies make Inc. 5000 list; see full national ranking," 16 Aug. 2017
On Friday, the 2017 San Diego International Mariachi Summit will hold its second annual gala concert at the San Diego Civic Theatre, with proceeds going to the scholarship foundation.

— george varga, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Mariachi Summit Gala Concert will be borders-leaping feast for eyes and ears," 13 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gala.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of gala

borrowed from French, borrowed from Spanish, "elegance, pomp, occasion marked by display," borrowed from Middle French gale "festivity, pleasure" — more at ²gallant

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1777

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gala Synonyms

Synonyms

carnival, celebration, fest, festivity, fete (or fête), fiesta, festival, jubilee

Related Words

jamboree, jollification, jollity [British], merriment, merrymaking, rejoicing, revel, revelry; exhibit, exhibition, exposition, fair, show; exercises, honors

GALA Defined for English Language Learners

gala

play

noun

Definition of gala for English Language Learners

: a public party or celebration

GALA Defined for Kids

gala

play

noun ga·la \ ˈgā-lə , ˈga-lə , ˈgä- \

Definition of gala for Students

:a large showy celebration

We attended our town's 100th anniversary gala.

gala

adjective

Definition of gala for Students

:being or resembling a large showy celebration

gala events

Learn More about gala

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for gala Spanish Central: Translation of gala Nglish: Translation of gala for Spanish speakers

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Examples of gala in a Sentence

Recent Examples of gala from the Web

Origin and Etymology of gala

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GALA Defined for English Language Learners

gala

Definition of gala for English Language Learners

GALA Defined for Kids

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Definition of gala for Students

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