plural galleries
Synonyms of gallerynext
1
a
: a roofed promenade : colonnade
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
: 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 adjective

Examples of gallery in a Sentence

She owns a gallery downtown. The movie features a gallery of weird characters.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Wire cables, arranged in clusters across a gallery floor, conjure tufts of grass. Carolina A. Miranda, The New York Review of Books, 5 Sep. 2026 The open-plan, curvilinear design means the galleries are not fully divided, reinforcing the all-encompassing nature of the collection, though altogether the vast array of exhibits sometimes struggle for cohesiveness. Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2026 Exhibitions of Evans’s work were put up in galleries and churches—the artist taking on the lesser, commercial labor of drawing an audience. Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026 An art gallery serves as the connecting spine between the original cabin, the older portion of the home and the newer main house upstairs. David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 5 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for gallery

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

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Cite this Entry

“Gallery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gallery. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

Kids Definition

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

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