gala

noun

ˈgā-lə How to pronounce gala (audio)
Definition of galanext
as in celebration
a time or program of special events and entertainment in honor of something attended the gala celebrating the reopening of the museum

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of gala And on Wednesday, the Pacific Palisades Farmers Market returned home to the Village with its own gala reopening, hosted by nonprofit Raw Inspiration, which has organized the market since 2000. — Teresa Liu, Daily News, 19 Aug. 2026 Unitree shot to national prominence last year after its robots took to China’s biggest stage, the annual Lunar New Year gala, with sleek dancing choreography. — John Liu, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026 Smith said the award, which was given Saturday at the organization’s gala, had nothing to do with journalism, attributing the dishonor to board members unhappy with his political opinions. — Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026 Our first conversation was at a fundraising gala at the Natural History Museum. — Literary Hub, 17 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for gala
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gala
  1. celebration
  2. festival
  3. festivity
Noun
  • Caterham and her family are marking her milestone birthday this year with a private celebration, according to Guinness World Records.
    — Yi-Jin Yu, ABC News, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The boat ride was part of a birthday celebration, a law enforcement official told CNN.
    — Martin Goillandeau, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of celebration
Noun
  • The Deauville Industry Days sidebar, taking place over two days at the festival being held at the French seaside town, will incorporate various talks, panels and sessions.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 24 Aug. 2026
  • For over 70 years, the Cannes Lions festival has welcomed marketing and advertising suits to the South of France for a week of schmoozing and dealmaking.
    — Madeleine Schulz, Vogue, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of festival
Noun
  • And the crowd on-hand watching the festivities roared in amusement.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 20 Aug. 2026
  • In high school, Messick and his buddies would gather in one of their backyard pools, order pizza and watch the All-Star week festivities.
    — Zack Meisel, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of festivity

Browse Nearby Words

gal
gala
galactic
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gala.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gala. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of tilde

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All