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.
Vaccarello also established Saint Laurent Editions, specializing in books, fanzines and fine art, with a dedicated retail/gallery space dubbed Saint Laurent Babylone on the Left Bank of Paris. — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026 Jones has become known for hosting some of the biggest names in Southern art, including Tara Stallworth Lee, Daniel José Carr, Renee Hanan Plata, and William Dooley, at Room 412, his tiny gallery space at the front of his apartment. — Leslie Pariseau, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Oct. 2026 That unique gallery purchased the building in 2018 for $3 million, but officials there didn’t begin planning its future in earnest until Cap City vacated its lease and closed in July 2025. — John Wenzel, Denver Post, 11 Oct. 2026 His reward — and part of the backlash, on top of death threats — was being physically assaulted outside the Capitol in Sacramento and spattered with blood thrown from the gallery. — Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gallery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gallery. Accessed 14 Oct. 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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