1
: an area in a Roman amphitheater for gladiatorial combats
2
a
: an enclosed area used for public entertainment
b
: a building containing an arena
3
a
: a sphere of interest, activity, or competition
the political arena
b
: a place or situation for controversy
in the public arena
Synonyms
Examples of arena in a Sentence
Congress became an arena of opposing views.
the toughest political arena in the world
The economic arena has been dominated by that country.
Recent Examples on the Web
Popular on Variety Church has a sense of occasion that sometimes leads him to do special one-off sets, of which this was definitely one, rather than the standard arena touring show many might expect to see at a festival.
—
Chris Willman, Variety, 27 Apr. 2024
Including the 1,700 arena employees who staff each event, nearly 123,000 people will pass through the doors of the Crypt in that span.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for arena 
Chris Willman, Variety, 27 Apr. 2024
Including the 1,700 arena employees who staff each event, nearly 123,000 people will pass through the doors of the Crypt in that span.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for arena
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'arena.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near arena
Cite this Entry
“Arena.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arena. Accessed 4 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
arena
noun
are·na
ə-ˈrē-nə 
1
: an enclosed area used for public entertainment
2
: a building containing an arena
3
: a field of activity
the political arena
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