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gallery

/ˈɡæl.əri/
IELTSAcademic
noun
  1. 1.

    A room or building where works of art are shown to the public. It may be small, private, or part of a museum.

    • We visited an art gallery on Sunday.
    • Her paintings are displayed in the gallery.
    • The gallery has a new photography show.
  2. 2.

    A long balcony or upper seating area in a theatre, hall, or church. In some places, it also means the upper seats in a courtroom or stadium.

    • They sat in the gallery during the concert.
    • The gallery was crowded with students.
    • The judge looked up at the gallery.
  3. 3.

    A place or online page where images are shown together. This is common on websites and phones.

    • Check the gallery for more photos.
    • The app saves every picture in one gallery.
    • She uploaded a gallery of wedding pictures.

Adinary Nuance

A gallery is not the same as a museum. A museum is the whole place for collections; a gallery is often one room, section, or building for showing art. It is also not just any collection of pictures online, because gallery suggests a neat display, not a random set.

In other languages

Vietnamese
phòng trưng bày
Spanish
galería
Chinese
画廊
Japanese
ギャラリー
Korean
갤러리

Etymology

Gallery comes from Old French galerie, from Medieval Latin galeria. It entered English in the 16th century and first referred to a long passage or balcony.

Common phrases

art galleryphoto gallerythe public gallerygallery exhibition

Synonyms

Related words

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a gallery and a museum?
A museum usually keeps and displays many kinds of objects. A gallery mainly shows art or photos.
Is gallery used for websites and phones?
Yes. A gallery can mean a set of photos shown together on a screen.
Is gallery formal or common English?
It is a common word in both spoken and written English.
Can gallery mean seats in a theatre?
Yes. It can mean an upper seating area or balcony in a hall or theatre.