gala

Meaning

Adj

Celebratory; festive.

Noun

1. Pomp, show, or festivity.
2. A competition
3. A showy and festive party.
4. A red-skinned variety of eating apple.

Noun

A member of an androgynous class of priests of the Sumerian goddess Inanna.

Concepts

gala

festival

affair

festivity

festive

banquet

celebration

gala affair

blowout

jamboree

ceremonial

holiday

formal

grand

party

dinner

function

ball

dance

prom

solemnity

solemn

feast

fete

fiesta

jubilee

show

showy

happy

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈɡɑːlə/

Etymology

From French gala, or directly from that word's etymon, which is either Italian gala, or Spanish gala, both meaning "festive occasion", and derived from Old French gale (“rejoicing”). (The French word likely kept the final -a to avoid homophony with gale (“scabies”).) Ultimately cognate to gallant and hence probably from Frankish *wala (“good, well”).