stadium

noun

sta·​di·​um ˈstā-dē-əm How to pronounce stadium (audio)
plural stadiums or stadia ˈstā-dē-ə How to pronounce stadium (audio)
1
: a large usually roofless building with tiers of seats for spectators at sports events
2
a
: a tiered structure with seats for spectators surrounding an ancient Greek running track
b
: a course for footraces in ancient Greece
3
a
: any of various ancient Greek units of length ranging in value from 607 to 738 feet (about 185 to 225 meters)
b
: an ancient Roman unit of length equal to 607 feet (185 meters)
4
[New Latin, from Latin] : a stage in a life history
especially : one between successive molts of an insect

Examples of stadium in a Sentence

the football game will be held at the new stadium, which seats 100,000 people
Recent Examples on the Web In addition, the battle for third place happens with Panama vs. Jamaica a few hours earlier at the same stadium starting at 3 p.m. PT/6 p.m. ET. Rudie Obias, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Mar. 2024 Kelly, who made the remarks during a year-end interview, referenced the possible extension of a Jackson County sales tax to help fund stadiums. Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 22 Mar. 2024 In their hometown of San Diego, the trio will take the stage at Petco Park stadium. Ilana Kaplan, Peoplemag, 22 Mar. 2024 This year’s touring romp, dubbed Sun Goes Down, kicks off April 20 in Tampa, Florida, and will wind through stadiums until a three-night stand at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts starts Aug. 25. USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2024 Strait became a superstar who filled stadiums, and together Strait and Erv helped lead country music back to its traditions. Chris Willman, Variety, 20 Mar. 2024 The gambit revolved around the longest of shots and a confusing and constricted ticket-buying system in a small stadium, which seats 16,744 for baseball. Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Mar. 2024 Leiweke-Bodie says the model is key to driving expansion opportunities into Africa, Asia and the Middle East, where huge gaps in the world’s touring infrastructure prevent popular arena and stadium tours from accessing hundreds of millions of fans. Dave Brooks, Billboard, 19 Mar. 2024 Lawmakers earmarked nearly $2 billion in tax subsidies to build an MLB stadium and an NHL arena. Nicole Santa Cruz, ProPublica, 19 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stadium.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin, from Greek stadion

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3a

Time Traveler
The first known use of stadium was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near stadium

Cite this Entry

“Stadium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stadium. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

stadium

noun
sta·​di·​um ˈstād-ē-əm How to pronounce stadium (audio)
plural stadia
-ē-ə
or stadiums
1
: a course for footraces in ancient Greece with rows of seats for spectators
2
plural usually stadiums : a large usually roofless building with rows of seats for spectators at modern sports events
Etymology

Middle English stadium "a course for races in ancient Greece, a large structure for sports events," from Latin stadium (same meaning), from Greek stadion "a course for footraces, a unit of measurement"

Word Origin
A stadion in ancient Greece was a unit of measurement equal to about 180 meters. One of the most important events in the ancient Olympic Games was a footrace exactly one stadion long. The course on which the race was run, including the raised seats from which spectators watched, was also known as a stadion. This word was later borrowed into Latin as stadium. In time, it also came to be used to refer to larger structures in which different kinds of athletic contests were held. That is how the English word stadium is usually used.

More from Merriam-Webster on stadium

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