Gloria

American  

[glawr-ee-uh, glohr-] / ˈglɔr i ə, ˈgloʊr- /

noun

1. Liturgy.

   1. Gloria in Excelsis Deo.

   2. Gloria Patri.

   3. the response Gloria tibi, Domine, “Glory be to Thee, O Lord.”

2. (lowercase) a repetition of one of these.

3. (lowercase) a musical setting for one of these.

4. (lowercase) a halo, nimbus, or aureole, or an ornament in imitation of one.

5. (lowercase) a fabric of silk, cotton, nylon, or wool for umbrellas, dresses, etc., often with a filling of cotton warp and yarn of other fiber.

6. a female given name.

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Gloria ¹ British  

/ ˈɡlɔːrɪə, -ˌɑː /

noun

1. any of several doxologies beginning with the word Gloria, esp the Greater and the Lesser Doxologies

2. a musical setting of one of these

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gloria ² British  

/ ˈɡlɔːrɪə /

noun

1. a silk, wool, cotton, or nylon fabric used esp for umbrellas

2. a halo or nimbus, esp as represented in art

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Etymology

Origin of Gloria

1150–1200; Middle English < Latin; see glory

Example Sentences

The Minerva Gloria is docked at a wharf in the Mississippi Sound, not far from the US's vast oil reserves in the Gulf of Mexico.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

This is the woman who followed up “Peter Rabbit” by playing Gloria Steinem in “Mrs. America.”

From Salon • Mar. 22, 2026

The San Francisco strike sent an encouraging message to other educators, said Gloria Martinez, treasurer of the Los Angeles teachers union.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026

The film presents a swath of characters from the diaspora rarely represented in French cinema, centered on Gloria, the mother of the bride in France and the daughter of the deceased in Africa.

From Barron's • Feb. 16, 2026

I look from Old Joe to Gloria in time to see a little frown cross over her face.

From "How to Disappear Completely" by Ali Standish