gala
Americanadjective
noun
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a festive occasion; celebration; special entertainment.
a gala featuring opera stars in their most famous scenes.
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festal pomp or dress.
noun
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a celebration; festive occasion
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( as modifier )
a gala occasion
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a sporting occasion involving competitions in several events
a swimming gala
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of gala
1615–25; < French < Italian < Old French; see gallant
Explanation
A gala is a big party. If you're going to a gala, you'll want to wear your fanciest ball gown — you'll want to look great for the best party of the year. A gala often features entertainment and dinner, and sometimes dancing and an auction. It's like a prom — but for adults. If you want to raise money for your favorite hospital, or museum, or theater, you could throw a gala, charge people a lot to attend, and give your profits to the charity. A gala can also be just a big celebration, like a gala dinner before the Oscars ceremony. Gala is from the Old French gale, "rejoicing."
Vocabulary lists containing gala
I Am Malala
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Fever 1793
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Academy Awards, List 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
During a gala Friday celebrating press freedom, President Trump finally got to deliver the biting speech he had long teased.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
Speaking at the Time 100 Sports gala, LeBron James expresses gratitude to USC staff members who saved Bronny after 2023 cardiac arrest and encourages others to be prepared for such emergencies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
One weird trick to make your summer gala better.
From Slate ● Jun. 29, 2026
Carney was later hosted at a gala dinner in Dublin Castle.
From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2026
Chuchi came dressed like she was at a gala.
From "The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora" by Pablo Cartaya
He and Andrea Mitchell began dating in 1984, bonding over a shared appreciation of music, and became a power-couple fixture at star-studded galas.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
There have been security incidents at big-ticket galas before, most notably when a couple of fame-seekers crashed a state dinner in the first year of the Obama administration.
From Slate ● Apr. 28, 2026
Designers cater to an extremely exclusive clientele able to purchase pieces for thousands of dollars intended for red carpets, galas, weddings or other public events.
From Barron's ● Jan. 26, 2026
Only three Grand Slam galas - the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open - have been worth attending.
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2025
She was often featured in the society pages of newspapers and magazines, attending balls and galas.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
