a large gathering of people intended to arouse enthusiasm
"Thousands gathered at the town square for a political rally to show their support for the new candidate."
a marked recovery of strength or spirits during an illness
"After weeks in the hospital, she showed a remarkable rally when her energy returned following the surgery."
an automobile race run over public roads
"The crowd gathered to watch the rally, which featured several cars speeding down the scenic country lanes."
A public gathering or mass meeting that is not mainly a protest and is organized to inspire enthusiasm for a cause.
"He greeted his old friend's jokes with good-humoured raillery, laughing at every teasing remark."
Good-humoured raillery.
In plain English: A rally is an organized public gathering where people come together to support a cause, person, or event.
"The team showed great spirit during their final rally in the fourth quarter."
To collect, and reduce to order, as troops dispersed or thrown into confusion; to gather again; to reunite.
"The old friends rallied each other about their terrible fashion choices over a pint of ale."
To tease; to chaff good-humouredly.
In plain English: To rally means to gather people together quickly for a specific purpose, often after they have been scattered or discouraged.
"The team rallied to win the game in the final minutes."
Usage: Use "rally" when describing how people come together after being scattered or demoralized to regain strength and purpose. This verb specifically implies a recovery from confusion rather than simply gathering for an initial event.
The word rally comes from the Middle French verb rallier, which originally meant "to bind" or "to ally." It entered English through this lineage of binding words that trace back to the Latin prefix re- combined with ad and ligare.