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; glory

Example Sentences

The Los Angeles Unified School District made its case in a news conference at its downtown headquarters the morning after a multiunion rally drew thousands to Gloria Molina Grand Park across from City Hall.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026

It’s also where he met Gloria Gioumousis, a computer programmer who became his wife.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

After all, how many fictional characters have an award from the Brooklyn Museum’s Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art, presented to them by Gloria Steinem?

From Salon • Feb. 28, 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

“Now, my old bones need a break,” says Gloria, clutching the small of her back.

From "How to Disappear Completely" by Ali Standish