gladiator
noun
glad·i·a·tor
ˈgla-dē-ˌā-tər 
1
: a person engaged in a fight to the death as public entertainment for ancient Romans
2
: a person engaging in a public fight or controversy
3
: a trained fighter
especially
: a professional boxer
Examples of gladiator in a Sentence
the two punch-drunk gladiators stumbled to their corners
Recent Examples on the Web
The next iteration of Black Twitter is up to the internet gladiators to decide.
—
Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 13 May 2024
And on the red carpet, Willis’ co-star Milla Jovovich turned heads with her barely there loincloth dress and gladiator heels.
—Shannon L. Bowen, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See all Example Sentences for gladiator 
Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 13 May 2024
And on the red carpet, Willis’ co-star Milla Jovovich turned heads with her barely there loincloth dress and gladiator heels.
—Shannon L. Bowen, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See all Example Sentences for gladiator
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gladiator.' 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 gladiator
Cite this Entry
“Gladiator.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gladiator. Accessed 1 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
gladiator
noun
glad·i·a·tor
ˈglad-ē-ˌāt-ər
1
: a person engaged in a fight to the death for public entertainment in ancient Rome
2
: a person engaging in a fierce fight or controversy
Etymology
from Latin gladiator, literally, "swordsman," from gladius "sword" — related to gladiolus
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