gallery

noun

gal·​lery ˈga-lə-rē 

ˈgal-rē

plural galleries

1

a

: a roofed promenade : colonnade

b

: corridor sense 1

2

a

: an outdoor balcony

b

Southern US and Midland US : porch, veranda

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

c

: collection, aggregation

the rich gallery of characters in this novel

—H. S. Canby

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

galleried

ˈga-lə-rēd 

ˈgal-rēd

adjective

galleryite

ˈga-lə-rē-ˌīt 

ˈgal-rē-

noun

Synonyms

• museum
• salon

Examples of gallery in a Sentence

She owns a gallery downtown.

The movie features a gallery of weird characters.

Recent Examples on the Web

Concerto in Black and Blue will take over the two north galleries in Hauser & Wirth’s sprawling downtown LA location. —Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 17 Dec. 2024

Altman holds runway shows in art galleries like the Untitled Space and has women in their 40s and up walk the runway. —Nadja Sayej, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024

The old mountain mining community has maintained its small-town charm and is known for its plethora of antique and unique retail shops, clothing and pottery stores and art galleries. —Shawn Raymundo, The Arizona Republic, 17 Dec. 2024

Art Miami continued its legacy of presenting significant works from the 20th and 21st centuries through the world’s most respected galleries, while CONTEXT Art Miami provided a dynamic platform for emerging and mid-career artists, together featuring over 215 galleries from 17 countries. —Jaime Sloane, SPIN, 16 Dec. 2024

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

Phrases Containing gallery

• fly gallery
• gallery forest
• peanut gallery
• play to the gallery
• press gallery
• shooting gallery

Kids Definition

gallery

noun

gal·​lery ˈgal(-ə)-rē 

plural galleries

1

: an outdoor balcony

2

a

: a long narrow room, hall, or passage

b

: an underground passageway (as in a mine or cave)

c

: a passage (as in earth or wood) made by an animal and especially an insect

3

a

: a room or building devoted to the exhibition of works of art

b

: a business dealing in works of art

4

: a balcony in an auditorium

especially : the highest balcony in a theater or the people who sit there

play to the gallery

5

: a photographer's studio