gallery
gallery
Pronunciation
Gallery: /ˈɡæləri/
gal- /ɡæl/
/ɡ/ - voiced velar plosive
/æ/ - near-open front unrounded vowel
/l/ - voiced alveolar lateral approximant
-le- /ə/
/ə/ - schwa (mid-central unrounded vowel)
-ry /ri/
/r/ - voiced alveolar approximant
/i/ - close front unrounded vowel
Word Form Variations
Singular Noun: gallery
Plural Noun: galleries
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
A room or building primarily used for the display or sale of works of art.
Synonyms: exhibition hall, art space, museum (informal, if small)
Antonyms: storage room, vault (in this context)
A long, narrow passage or corridor, often with windows on one side, typically found in large buildings.
Synonyms: corridor, hallway, passage, arcade
Antonyms: cul-de-sac, dead end
A balcony or upper floor in a theater, church, or public hall, typically containing seats for the audience.
Synonyms: balcony, mezzanine, upper tier, loge
Antonyms: orchestra (main floor seating), pit
A public space where people gather to observe or participate in an activity, often from an elevated position.
Synonyms: viewing area, observation deck, grandstand (for sports)
Antonyms: backstage, private area
A collection or series of items, especially photographs or images, presented together.
Synonyms: collection, album, portfolio, compilation, archive
Antonyms: individual item, single piece
Examples of Use
Books: "The character wandered through the labyrinthine halls of the National Portrait Gallery, captivated by the gaze of historical figures." (Example based on common literary settings)
Newspapers: "A new exhibition featuring local artists will open next month at the downtown art gallery." (As seen in local arts sections, e.g., The Guardian, June 2024)
Online Publications: "Our latest online photo gallery showcases the stunning aurora borealis captured by amateur photographers worldwide." (From nature photography websites, e.g., National Geographic Online, January 2025)
Film/Television: In a documentary about art theft, a narrator might state, "The stolen masterpiece was last seen being carefully removed from the prestigious European gallery." (Common trope in heist or art-related media)
Video Games: Many video games include a "gallery" mode where players can view unlocked concept art, character models, or cutscenes. For instance, in "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom," players can revisit a "memories gallery" to re-watch story moments. (Nintendo, May 2023)
Music/Concerts: While less common, a band might describe their live stream as a "virtual concert gallery," inviting viewers to immerse themselves in the visual experience accompanying the music. (Emerging trend in online performances, e.g., during virtual music festivals, December 2024)
General Public Discourse: "We spent the afternoon at the gallery, admiring all the incredible paintings." (Everyday conversation among friends or family)
Social Media: Instagram, Pinterest, and other visual platforms essentially function as personal "galleries" where users share photos and videos. A user might post, "Just updated my food photography gallery with new recipes!" (Instagram post, July 2025)
10 Quotes Using Gallery
"A museum is a place where one can lose one's senses, a gallery where one can lose one's mind." (Jean Baudrillard)
"The world is a great gallery, where the works of the divine artist are displayed." (Thomas Jefferson)
"Art is not a mirror held up to reality, but a hammer with which to shape it. But sometimes it's a gallery where we can just look." (Attributed to Bertolt Brecht, with a common artistic addendum)
"Every man's life is a gallery of pictures, in which he is both the painter and the spectator." (Attributed to John Ruskin)
"A home without books is a body without a soul. A home without art is a gallery without light." (Attributed to Cicero, with an artistic extension)
"Life is a gallery of choices, each one painting a stroke on the canvas of our destiny." (Original quote)
"To be an artist is to believe in life. To curate a gallery is to believe in art." (Original quote)
"The eyes of the world are upon us, a vast gallery awaiting our next masterpiece." (Original quote)
"He who is not afraid of the gallery will soon find his way to the stage." (Original quote)
"The gallery of life is filled with untold stories, waiting for us to discover them." (Original quote)
Etymology
The word "gallery" has a long and interesting history, going back to the Middle Ages!
It seems to have come into English from the Old French word "galerie" or "gallerie," which meant "a long portico" or "a covered walk." This French word itself likely came from the Medieval Latin "galeria."
Now, where did "galeria" come from? That's a bit of a mystery, but one popular theory is that it's a changed version of the Latin word "Galilaea," which refers to "Galilee," a region in Israel. This is because sometimes church porches were called "Galilee" in medieval times, perhaps because they were at the "far end" of the church, similar to how the region of Galilee was at the far end of the Holy Land. So, the idea is that these church porches, which were long covered passages, eventually lent their name to other similar architectural features.
The first known use of "gallery" in English, as a noun, dates back to the Middle English period (around 1150-1500). At that time, its main meaning was a "covered walk or passageway, a narrow and partly open passageway along a wall." Imagine a long, narrow path with a roof, often found in a large building or alongside a wall. This initial meaning forms the basis for many of the later uses of the word, like the long corridors in stately homes or the upper seating areas in theaters. The specific sense of a place for displaying art came later, in the late 1500s.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Gallery
Playing to the gallery: Behaving in an exaggerated or showy way to attract attention or approval from an audience.
The whole gallery: Everyone present or involved; the entire audience or group.
Gallery hop: To visit several art galleries in succession, often on a single outing.
Peeping gallery: A group of people watching an event, often with curiosity or gossip in mind.
Standing in the gallery: Being part of the audience or observers, often from an elevated position.
A rogues' gallery: A collection of photographs of criminals, especially for identification purposes. (More broadly, a collection of disreputable individuals).
Empty gallery: A situation where there is no audience or very little interest in something.
Filling the gallery: Attracting a large audience or a lot of interest.
Picture gallery of memories: A metaphorical collection of cherished past experiences. (Original phrase)
The grand gallery of life: A poetic way to refer to the vast and varied experiences of existence. (Original phrase)
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of gallery from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
