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

Pakistan’s premier cricket competition will be played in empty stadiums this year due to the oil crisis caused by the Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. —Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 23 Mar. 2026

Their first shows will center on the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers, diving into how the Dodgers, for example, were early to grab on to the lure of a stadium; to reach out to different cultures to fill the team’s roster; and to grasp the power of sports media. —Brian Steinberg, Variety, 23 Mar. 2026

Ali al-Hek is sheltering in a tent with his parents and four siblings in a stadium in Beirut that's sheltering thousands of displaced people. —Npr Staff, NPR, 23 Mar. 2026

The team plans to build more than just a stadium, though. —Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 23 Mar. 2026

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.