gala

noun

ga·​la ˈgā-lə  ˈga-  ˈgä- 

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

gala adjective

Synonyms

• carnival
• celebration
• fest
• festival
• festivity
• fete
• fête
• fiesta
• jubilee

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

The gala will take place on Friday, January 24, 2025 at the Grand Hyatt Deer Valley in Utah. —Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 22 Nov. 2024

From luxury galas to interactive pop-ups, creating a meaningful experience doesn’t always require a massive budget—just creativity and focusing on what matters most: acknowledging your hardworking team. —Monica Gomez, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024

Steven Reineke, music director and conductor for the New York Pops, will serve in those capacities at this show, which doubles as the New York Pops 42nd birthday gala. —Paul Grein, Billboard, 19 Nov. 2024

Down the street, Cipriani is open for galas in the former National City Bank building. —Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 18 Nov. 2024

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

Kids Definition

gala

noun

ga·​la ˈgā-lə  ˈgal-ə 

: a festive celebration

gala adjective