stadium

noun

sta·​di·​um ˈstā-dē-əm 

plural stadiums or stadia ˈstā-dē-ə 

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

Synonyms of stadium

• coliseum
• park

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

Some buy condos within walking distance of the stadium, others look for family homes big enough for kids and grandkids to pile into on game weekends. —Christina Daves, Southern Living, 7 Nov. 2025

They got engaged at Auburn’s football stadium After just over one year of dating, the pair got engaged on July 30, 2021, with Bo getting down on one knee at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn. —Emily Krauser, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025

Fans wanting to go to games will enter from Gate 2 on the north side of the football stadium and will go through security screenings there before entering the arena on the south side of the building. —Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 7 Nov. 2025

In September, Boston Legacy secured a loan of more than $100 million to renovate White Stadium, which opened in 1949; the team plans to make the stadium its permanent home beginning in 2027. —Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 6 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin, from Greek stadion

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for stadium

• radium
• palladium
• vanadium

Kids Definition

stadium

noun

sta·​di·​um ˈstād-ē-əm 

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.