Meaning
Celebratory; festive.
Etymology
Origin: French
From French gala, or directly from that word's etymon, which is either Italian gala, or Spanish gala, both meaning "festive occasion", and derived from Old French gale (“rejoicing”). (The French word likely kept the final -a to avoid homophony with gale (“scabies”).) Ultimately cognate to gallant and hence probably from Frankish *wala (“good, well”).
Synonyms & Antonyms
NYT Puzzle Appearances
Accepted in 26 recorded puzzles:
- 2026-08-10GALMORU
- 2026-04-04GAULBRY
- 2026-03-22ADLHGNI
- 2025-12-20GNAMEDL
- 2025-12-12AZGOLIN
- 2025-12-10GYATIEL
- 2025-10-06LABGINZ
- 2025-09-26ARGOLMH
- 2025-09-08AGHLMUP
- 2025-04-16GATLENY
- 2024-12-27LAMGCIY
- 2024-10-06GALDCEN
+14 earlier appearances in the archive.