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Gary

American  
[gair-ee, gar-ee] / ˈgɛər i, ˈgær i /

noun

  1. Elbert Henry, 1846–1927, U.S. financier and lawyer.

  2. a port in NW Indiana, on Lake Michigan.

  3. a male given name: from an Old English word meaning “spear bearer.”

Gary British  
/ ˈɡærɪ /

noun

  1. a port in NW Indiana, on Lake Michigan: a major world steel producer. Pop: 99 961 (2003 est)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

When I was a postdoctoral student at the University of Chicago, Gary Becker was one of my mentors.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 19, 2026

His fellow co-director, Gary O'Hara, said that when McIlroy wins a major such as the Masters, "you can almost feel the ripple effect straight away".

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026

A lot has changed since Gary Gensler left government last year.

From Barron's • Apr. 18, 2026

Gary Middleton announced last week he was resigning from the Northern Ireland Assembly to deal with "significant" mental health challenges.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

“But I think the park already took out a couple of loans just to keep going. I’d have to talk to Gary about that, but I don’t think it’s an option.”

From "Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus" by Dusti Bowling

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.