arena

noun

are·​na ə-ˈrē-nə 

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

• amphitheater
• auditorium
• garden
• hall
• theater
• theatre

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

This famous old cricketing arena was buzzing with anticipation at the first sight in this series of the biggest danger to England’s hopes and the biggest box office attraction of five Tests in the next six weeks. —Paul Newman, New York Times, 21 June 2025

The arena, roaring just a few minutes before at the start, quieted quickly. —Tim Reynolds, Chicago Tribune, 20 June 2025

Boone will also make stops at arenas across North America, including Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Toronto, Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Nashville, Atlanta, Miami, Orlando, Houston, Las Vegas, San Diego, Vancouver, Seattle, and more. —Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 20 June 2025

Beyond positioning the enterprise for growth, Virmani is scaling the company’s presence in cultural arenas that intersect with its tech-forward ethos. —Seth Matlins, Forbes.com, 19 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin harena, arena sand, sandy place

First Known Use

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing arena

• arena football
• arena theater

Rhymes for arena

• athena
• cantina
• carina
• carmina
• catena
• czarina
• domina
• equina
• farina
• galena
• glossina
• hyena

Kids 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