2
c
: a platform at the quarters or stern of a ship
3
a
: a long and narrow passage, apartment, or corridor
b
: a subterranean passageway in a cave or military mining system
also
: a working drift or level in mining
c
: an underground passage made by a mole or ant or a passage made in wood by an insect (such as a beetle)
4
a
: a room or building devoted to the exhibition of works of art
b
: an institution or business exhibiting or dealing in works of art
5
a
: a structure projecting from one or more interior walls (as of an auditorium or church) to accommodate additional people
especially
: the highest balcony in a theater commonly having the cheapest seats
b
: the part of a theater audience seated in the top gallery
c
: the undiscriminating general public
d
: the spectators at a sporting event (such as a tennis or golf match)
6
: a small ornamental barrier or railing (as along the edge of a table or shelf)
7
: a photographer’s studio
Synonyms
Example Sentences
She owns a gallery downtown.
The movie features a gallery of weird characters.
Recent Examples on the Web
Phil Mickelson used to draw huge, enthusiastic galleries at the Masters.
—
Dan Wolken, USA TODAY, 7 Apr. 2023
Visitors will be able to take food and drinks throughout the gallery, which will have timed entry, to keep crowds manageable and the experience positive.
—oregonlive, 7 Apr. 2023
While Lizzy spends the movie preparing for a show at a local gallery, her frenemy, rival, and landlord, Jo (Hong Chau), is readying two — one of them a prestigious showcase at the school they’re both associated with.
—Vulture, 7 Apr. 2023
Now In the heart of the Marais neighborhood, surrounded by galleries, shops, and cafes, sits the elegant and cosmopolitan Hôtel 9Confidentiel.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 6 Apr. 2023
Under the weight of it all, an austere grace pervaded the galleries, a contemplative calm.
—Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Apr. 2023
The company worked with local nonprofits, galleries, theaters, churches, and city officials to go through the massive building and tag everything that could be saved and reused.
—Laura Kinsler, Orlando Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2023
Like the building, the T-shirt is also a remnant of the gallery, which had been there for a couple of decades.
—Arlyssa D. Becenti, AZCentral.com, 2 Apr. 2023
There are delicious restaurants, energizing art galleries, museums full of oddities, and plenty of spots to sample local beer and wine.
—Sarah Zlotnick, Country Living, 2 Apr. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘gallery.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Middle English gallerie, borrowed from Middle French, borrowed from Medieval Latin galeria, probably alteration (by dissimilation or suffix change) of galilea galilee
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Time Traveler
The first known use of gallery was
in the 15th century
Dictionary Entries Near gallery
Cite this Entry
“Gallery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gallery. Accessed 13 Apr. 2023.
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More from Merriam-Webster on gallery
Last Updated:
10 Apr 2023
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
Definitions for (noun) gallery
Main entry: drift, gallery, heading
Definition: a horizontal (or nearly horizontal) passageway in a mine
Usage: they dug a drift parallel with the vein
Main entry: gallery
Definition: narrow recessed balcony area along an upper floor on the interior of a building; usually marked by a colonnade
Main entry: gallery
Definition: a covered corridor (especially one extending along the wall of a building and supported with arches or columns)
Main entry: gallery
Definition: a long usually narrow room used for some specific purpose
Usage: shooting gallery
Main entry: gallery, picture gallery, art gallery
Definition: a room or series of rooms where works of art are exhibited
Main entry: veranda, verandah, gallery
Definition: a porch along the outside of a building (sometimes partly enclosed)
Main entry: gallery
Definition: spectators at a golf or tennis match
Visual thesaurus for gallery
-
Defenition of the word gallery
- The uppermost seating area projecting from the rear or side walls of a theater, concert hall or auditorium.
- A covered corridor.
- An institution, building, or room for the exhibition and conservation of works of art.
- (mining) a horizontal (or nearly horizontal) passageway in a mine; «they dug a drift parallel with the vein»
- narrow recessed balcony area along an upper floor on the interior of a building; usually marked by a colonnade
- a covered passageway especially one extending along the wall of a building and supported with arches or columns
- a long usually narrow room used for some specific purpose; «shooting gallery»
- spectators at a golf or tennis match
- a room or series of rooms where works of art are exhibited
- a porch along the outside of a building (sometimes partly enclosed)
- a horizontal (or nearly horizontal) passageway in a mine; «they dug a drift parallel with the vein»
- a covered corridor (especially one extending along the wall of a building and supported with arches or columns)
- a horizontal (or nearly horizontal) passageway in a mine
- a long usually narrow room used for some specific purpose
Synonyms for the word gallery
-
- arcade
- art gallery
- balcony
- colonnade
- corridor
- covered passage
- drift
- heading
- picture gallery
- porch
- portico
- veranda
- verandah
Similar words in the gallery
-
- gallery
- gallery’s
- gallerying
Hyponyms for the word gallery
-
- amphitheater
- amphitheatre
- choir loft
- lanai
- organ loft
- salon
Hypernyms for the word gallery
-
- audience
- balcony
- corridor
- passageway
- porch
- room
See other words
-
- What is geld
- The definition of fitfully
- The interpretation of the word gelatinous
- What is meant by fitzroy
- The lexical meaning fittingly
- The dictionary meaning of the word fittings
- The grammatical meaning of the word fittest
- Meaning of the word upper circle
- Literal and figurative meaning of the word fitters
- The origin of the word press down
- Synonym for the word stiffen
- Antonyms for the word serious
- Homonyms for the word tap down
- Hyponyms for the word gelling
- Holonyms for the word unchangeable
- Hypernyms for the word gels
- Proverbs and sayings for the word multinational
- Translation of the word in other languages lanai
gal·ler·y
(găl′ə-rē)
n. pl. gal·ler·ies
1. A roofed promenade, especially one extending along the wall of a building and supported by arches or columns on the outer side.
2. A long enclosed passage, such as a hallway or corridor.
3.
a. A narrow balcony, usually having a railing or balustrade, along the outside of a building.
b. A projecting or recessed passageway along an upper story on the interior or exterior of a large building, generally marked by a colonnade or arcade.
c. Such a passageway situated over the aisle of a church and opening onto the nave. Also called tribune2.
4. Southwestern Gulf States See veranda.
5.
a. An upper section, often with a sloping floor, projecting from the rear or side walls of a theater or an auditorium to provide additional seating.
b. The seats in such a section, usually cheaper than those on the main floor.
c. The cheapest seats in a theater, generally those of the uppermost gallery.
d. The audience occupying a gallery or cheap section of a theater.
6. A large audience or group of spectators, as at a tennis or golf match.
7. The general public, usually considered as exemplifying a lack of discrimination or sophistication: accused the administration of playing to the gallery on the defense issue.
8.
a. A building, room, or website for the exhibition of artistic work.
b. An establishment that displays and sells works of art.
c. A photographer’s studio.
9. A collection; an assortment: The trial featured a gallery of famous and flamboyant witnesses.
10.
a. An underground tunnel or passageway, as in a cave or one dug for military or mining purposes.
b. A tunnel or series of tunnels made by an animal.
11. Nautical A platform or balcony at the stern or quarters of some early sailing ships.
12. A decorative upright trimming or molding along the edge of a table top, tray, or shelf.
[Middle English galerie, from Old French, from Old North French galilee, galilee; see galilee.]
gal′ler·ied adj.
Our Living Language In Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, an open roofed porch that runs along at least one side of a house has been called a gallery: «Out on the small front gallery she had hung Bobinôt’s Sunday clothes to air» (Kate Chopin). Craig M. Carver, the author of American Regional Dialects, points out that the word gallery, from Old French galerie, was borrowed into British English in the 15th century and was brought over to the American colonies by English-speaking settlers. Although the word in the sense «porch» did not survive in the American English of the East Coast, it was borrowed separately, probably from Acadian French, into the English of 18th-century Louisiana and there survived as part of the Southwestern Gulf dialect.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
gallery
(ˈɡælərɪ)
n, pl -leries
1. (Art Terms) a room or building for exhibiting works of art
2. (Architecture) a covered passageway open on one side or on both sides. See also colonnade1
3. (Architecture)
a. a balcony running along or around the inside wall of a church, hall, etc
b. a covered balcony, sometimes with columns on the outside
4. (Theatre) theatre
a. an upper floor that projects from the rear over the main floor and contains the cheapest seats
b. the seats there
c. the audience seated there
5. (Architecture) a long narrow room, esp one used for a specific purpose: a shooting gallery.
6. (Commerce) chiefly US a building or room where articles are sold at auction
7. (Mining & Quarrying) an underground passage, as in a mine, the burrow of an animal, etc
8. (Theatre) theatre a narrow raised platform at the side or along the back of the stage for the use of technicians and stagehands
9. (Broadcasting) (in a TV studio) a glass-fronted soundproof room high up to one side of the studio looking into it. One gallery is used by the director and an assistant and one is for lighting, etc
10. (Nautical Terms) nautical a balcony or platform at the quarter or stern of a ship, sometimes used as a gun emplacement
11. (Furniture) a small ornamental metal or wooden balustrade or railing on a piece of furniture, esp one surrounding the top of a desk, table, etc
12. any group of spectators, as at a golf match
13. play to the gallery to try to gain popular favour, esp by crude appeals
[C15: from Old French galerie, from Medieval Latin galeria, probably from galilea galilee, a porch or chapel at entrance to medieval church]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
gal•ler•y
(ˈgæl ə ri, ˈgæl ri)
n., pl. -ler•ies.
1. a raised area, often having a stepped or sloping floor, in a theater, church, or other public building to accommodate spectators, exhibits, etc.
2. the uppermost of such areas in a theater, usu. containing the cheapest seats.
3. the occupants of such an area in a theater.
4. the undiscriminating public.
5. any group of spectators or observers, as at a golf match or a legislative session.
6. a room, series of rooms, or building devoted to the exhibition and often the sale of works of art.
7. a long covered area, narrow and open at one or both sides, used esp. as a walk or corridor.
8. Chiefly South Atlantic States. a long porch or portico; veranda.
9. a long, relatively narrow room, esp. one for public use.
10. a raised, balconylike platform or passageway running along the exterior wall of a building inside or outside.
11. a large room or building used for photography, target practice, or other special purposes: a shooting gallery.
12. a collection or group: a gallery of misfits.
13. a projecting balcony or structure on the quarter or stern of a ship.
14. an ornamental railing surrounding the top of a table, desk, etc.
15. Mining. a level or drift.
16. an underground passageway in a mine, earthwork, or fortification.
17. a passageway made by an animal.
[1400–50; late Middle English < Old French galerie < Medieval Latin galeria, by dissimilation or suffix replacement from galilea, galilæa galilee]
gal′ler•ied, adj.
gal′ler•y•like`, adj.
Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
Gallery
the audience in the gallery, 1649, used in relation to a theatre or the political arena, e.g., ‘playing to the gallery’. See also audience.
Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
gallery
The highest of the tiers of audience seating.
Dictionary of Unfamiliar Words by Diagram Group Copyright © 2008 by Diagram Visual Information Limited
Other forms: galleries
A gallery is an area of a building that’s usually long, narrow, and has a specific function. You might visit an art gallery to check out a row of paintings hung on its walls.
There are a few kinds of galleries, but the first is a part of a house or building that’s unusually long and narrow. A gallery also has some sort of purpose: in a theater, a gallery is a place where additional seats are located. A gallery is also somewhere art is shown and sold. Art galleries can be one room of a larger place, a series of rooms, or a whole building devoted to art.
Definitions of gallery
-
noun
a porch along the outside of a building (sometimes partly enclosed)
-
synonyms:
veranda, verandah
see moresee less-
types:
-
lanai
a veranda or roofed patio often furnished and used as a living room
-
type of:
-
porch
a structure attached to the exterior of a building often forming a covered entrance
-
lanai
-
noun
narrow recessed balcony area along an upper floor on the interior of a building; usually marked by a colonnade
see moresee less-
types:
-
amphitheater, amphitheatre
a sloping gallery with seats for spectators (as in an operating room or theater)
-
choir loft
a gallery in a church occupied by the choir
-
organ loft
a gallery occupied by a church organ
-
type of:
-
balcony
a platform projecting from the wall of a building and surrounded by a balustrade or railing or parapet
-
amphitheater, amphitheatre
-
noun
a covered corridor (especially one extending along the wall of a building and supported with arches or columns)
-
noun
a long usually narrow room used for some specific purpose
-
noun
a room or series of rooms where works of art are exhibited
-
synonyms:
art gallery, picture gallery
see moresee less-
types:
-
salon
gallery where works of art can be displayed
-
type of:
-
room
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
-
salon
-
noun
a horizontal (or nearly horizontal) passageway in a mine
-
noun
spectators at a golf or tennis match
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘gallery’.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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