Gloria

American  

[glawr-ee-uh, glohr-] / ˈglɔr i ə, ˈgloʊr- /

noun

1. Liturgy.

   1. Gloria in Excelsis Deo.

   2. Gloria Patri.

   3. the response Gloria tibi, Domine, “Glory be to Thee, O Lord.”

2. (lowercase) a repetition of one of these.

3. (lowercase) a musical setting for one of these.

4. (lowercase) a halo, nimbus, or aureole, or an ornament in imitation of one.

5. (lowercase) a fabric of silk, cotton, nylon, or wool for umbrellas, dresses, etc., often with a filling of cotton warp and yarn of other fiber.

6. a female given name.

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Gloria ¹ British  

/ ˈɡlɔːrɪə, -ˌɑː /

noun

1. any of several doxologies beginning with the word Gloria, esp the Greater and the Lesser Doxologies

2. a musical setting of one of these

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gloria ² British  

/ ˈɡlɔːrɪə /

noun

1. a silk, wool, cotton, or nylon fabric used esp for umbrellas

2. a halo or nimbus, esp as represented in art

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Etymology

Origin of Gloria

1150–1200; Middle English < Latin; see glory

Example Sentences

Mayor Richard Riordan attended, along with Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina, who along with other Latino politicians spearheaded the effort to rename the street after Chavez.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2026

Gloria Allred, a prominent lawyer representing some of Epstein's victims, said the new revelations make it clear she is "not a victim in this story".

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026

After all, how many fictional characters have an award from the Brooklyn Museum’s Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art, presented to them by Gloria Steinem?

From Salon • Feb. 28, 2026

The San Francisco strike sent an encouraging message to other educators, said Gloria Martinez, treasurer of the Los Angeles teachers union.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026

Gloria walks to the mailbox at the end of her driveway.

From "Zara’s Rules for Record-Breaking Fun" by Hena Khan