arena

noun

are·​na ə-ˈrē-nə How to pronounce arena (audio)
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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
While the company that launched just before the pandemic didn’t initially have high aspirations to be in the indie festival arena, Together marked Feig’s fourth big Sundance deal. Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 21 Feb. 2025 Her Miss Possessive Tour is even bigger than her last, with McRae headlining arenas globally from March through November. Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 20 Feb. 2025 The vote marks a critical step toward construction for the project that could eventually bring nearly 10,000 new homes, a 6,000-seat music hall, a boutique hotel and around 10 acres of green space to the area around the arena now mostly made up of parking lots. Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 20 Feb. 2025 Looking Ahead: San Francisco missed its road chance at Gonzaga, but the Dons responded appropriately by pulverizing San Diego on the road (of note: that arena is called Jenny Craig Pavilion, aka the Slim Gym). Jim Root, The Athletic, 20 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for arena

Word History

Etymology

Latin harena, arena sand, sandy place

First Known Use

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of arena was in 1600

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Cite this Entry

“Arena.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arena. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

arena

noun
are·​na ə-ˈrē-nə How to pronounce arena (audio)
1
: an enclosed area used for public entertainment
2
: a building containing an arena
3
: a field of activity
the political arena

More from Merriam-Webster on arena

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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