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
Etymology
Origin of gala
1615–25; < French < Italian < Old French; 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.
Five years later, when she was no longer on his staff, she met him for drinks at a gala.
From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026
On Friday, he strode into the Mar-a-Lago ballroom to cheers of “U.S.A.” from local Republicans gathered for a $1,200 per-person fundraising gala.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026
The news came at Taco Bell’s Live Más Live gala March 10, during which the company introduced more than 20 new menu items — though the under-eye patches are the only non-edibles being rolled out.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026
Around 17.9 million people saw political thriller "One Battle After Another," starring Leonardo DiCaprio, take home the top prize at Hollywood's premier awards gala on Sunday.
From Barron's • Mar. 18, 2026
The Mutual had thrown a five-day-long “Dedication Festival,” a gala event that included a formal banquet held, not on the NCC campus, but in Duke University’s “Great Hall.”
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
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.
