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

Unitree's humanoid robots, for example, dazzled audiences at China's annual Spring Festival gala by performing backflips and martial arts. — ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026

Unitree shot to national prominence last year after its robots took to China’s biggest stage, the annual Lunar New Year gala, with sleek dancing choreography. — John Liu, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026

Smith said the award, which was given Saturday at the organization’s gala, had nothing to do with journalism, attributing the dishonor to board members unhappy with his political opinions. — Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026

Grant cycles, gala programs and capital campaigns all point to the day a project comes into existence—and few funding mechanisms in our sector are built for the years that follow. — Sarah Evans, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 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