gallery
GAL-uh-ree
Gallery (noun) means a room or building used to display works of art. Example: “The new gallery is exhibiting contemporary sculpture this month.”
noun
1
A room or building used to display works of art.
"The new gallery is exhibiting contemporary sculpture this month."
"We spent the morning wandering through the art gallery."
"The gallery is free to enter and open every day."
2
A balcony or raised area of seating in a theater or hall, often the cheapest or highest seats.
"From the gallery, the stage looked tiny."
"We bought cheap tickets in the gallery and still heard everything."
"The children leaned over the gallery rail to watch the orchestra below."
3
A group of spectators, especially at a golf tournament.
"The gallery fell silent as he lined up the final putt."
"The gallery applauded politely as the player walked to the next tee."
"A large gallery followed the leaders around the course all afternoon."
How to use gallery
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA place for displaying art, or a section of spectators/seating.
Common mistake
"Play to the gallery" means to act in a way designed to win over onlookers or the crowd, not literally performing in an art gallery.
Common pairings
art gallery
play to the gallery
shooting gallery
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like gallery.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Third person singular
- galleries
- Past tense
- galleried
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The new _____ is exhibiting contemporary sculpture this month.
Etymology
From Old French galerie ("a long portico"), from Medieval Latin galeria, of uncertain origin — possibly linked to Galilee, referring to a church porch.
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for gallery
See all rhymes for gallery →Frequently asked questions
What does “gallery” mean?
The word “gallery” means a room or building used to display works of art. In plain terms, a place for displaying art, or a section of spectators/seating.
How do you pronounce “gallery”?
“Gallery” is pronounced GAL-uh-ree (/ˈɡæl.ɚ.i/ in IPA).
How do you use “gallery” in a sentence?
Here is “gallery” used in a sentence: “The new gallery is exhibiting contemporary sculpture this month.”
What part of speech is “gallery”?
“Gallery” is a noun.
Where does the word “gallery” come from?
The word “gallery” comes from Medieval Latin. From Old French galerie ("a long portico"), from Medieval Latin galeria, of uncertain origin — possibly linked to Galilee, referring to a church porch.
Is “gallery” a common word?
“Gallery” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.
How many meanings does “gallery” have?
“Gallery” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a room or building used to display works of art.
What is the difference between a gallery and a museum?
A gallery mainly displays art, and the works are often for sale, especially in commercial galleries. A museum collects, preserves and exhibits objects of many kinds for education, and its pieces are generally not for sale. Galleries focus on showing art; museums focus on keeping and interpreting collections.
What are the different meanings of gallery?
Besides an art space, a gallery can be a long room or covered walkway, the highest seating tier in a theatre, a raised area for spectators such as a public gallery in parliament, or a shooting gallery. Most senses share the idea of a long room or a place for viewers.
What is an example of a gallery?
The National Gallery in London and New York's many Chelsea galleries are well-known art galleries. On a phone, the photo "gallery" borrows the word for a collection of images. In a theatre, "the gallery" is the cheap upper balcony where audiences sit.
Featured in
Vocabulary lists that include gallery:
