gallery

noun

gal·​lery ˈga-lə-rē 

ˈgal-rē

plural galleries

1

a

: a roofed promenade : colonnade

b

: corridor sense 1

2

a

: an outdoor balcony

b

Southern US and Midland US : porch, veranda

c

: a platform at the quarters or stern of a ship

3

a

: a long and narrow passage, apartment, or corridor

b

: a subterranean passageway in a cave or military mining system

also : a working drift or level in mining

c

: a passage made in wood by an insect (such as a beetle)

4

a

: a room or building devoted to the exhibition of works of art

b

: an institution or business exhibiting or dealing in works of art

c

: collection, aggregation

… the rich gallery of characters in this novel …

—H. S. Canby

5

a

: a structure projecting from one or more interior walls (as of an auditorium or church) to accommodate additional people

especially : the highest balcony in a theater commonly having the cheapest seats

b

: the part of a theater audience seated in the top gallery

c

: the undiscriminating general public

d

: the spectators at a sporting event (such as a tennis or golf match)

6

: a small ornamental barrier or railing (as along the edge of a table or shelf)

7

: a photographer's studio

galleried

ˈga-lə-rēd 

ˈgal-rēd

adjective

galleryite

ˈga-lə-rē-ˌīt 

ˈgal-rē-

noun

Synonyms of gallery

• museum

Examples of gallery in a Sentence

She owns a gallery downtown.

The movie features a gallery of weird characters.

Recent Examples on the Web

Now in its fifth year, the High Desert Art Fair transforms the rooms of the historic Pioneertown Motel into exhibition spaces for 20 galleries and publishers, while expanding into a broader mix of programming — something akin to a mini Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival. —Jane Horowitz, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2026

Too, the number of participating galleries is intentionally limited. —News Desk, Artforum, 23 Mar. 2026

View gallery - 4 images Elon Musk has previously promised the arrival of fully autonomous Teslas and ultrafast Hyperloop transport – both of which are yet to materialize. —New Atlas, 23 Mar. 2026

The chats encourage meaningful conversation and fresh interpretation to connect with the artwork, artifacts and stories in the galleries. —Hema Sivanandam, Mercury News, 23 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English gallerie, borrowed from Middle French, borrowed from Medieval Latin galeria, probably alteration (by dissimilation or suffix change) of galilea galilee

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing gallery

• fly gallery
• gallery forest
• peanut gallery
• play to the gallery
• press gallery
• shooting gallery

Rhymes for gallery

• calorie
• galerie
• mallory
• salary

Kids Definition

gallery

noun

gal·​lery ˈgal(-ə)-rē 

plural galleries

1

: an outdoor balcony

2

a

: a long narrow room, hall, or passage

b

: an underground passageway (as in a mine or cave)

c

: a passage (as in earth or wood) made by an animal and especially an insect

3

a

: a room or building devoted to the exhibition of works of art

b

: a business dealing in works of art

4

: a balcony in an auditorium

especially : the highest balcony in a theater or the people who sit there

play to the gallery

5

: a photographer's studio