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

Continue reading … FACE TO FACE — Dan Rather among 200 journalists demanding WHCA confront Trump at Saturday gala. —FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2026

Mannequins will be displayed permanently after gala And these 25 new mannequins will not be consigned — as some are — to retirement after the show, which opens to the public May 10. —CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026

Gertz, best known for movies like Sixteen Candles, The Lost Boys and Twister and TV shows like Square Pegs, made an appearance on Thursday, April 16, at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art's opening gala for its new David Geffen Galleries. —Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026

The following evening, a gala dinner featured dancing and a live band. —Larry Luxner, Sun Sentinel, 20 Apr. 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