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 of arena

• auditorium
• amphitheater

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

Queen is scheduled to launch his first headlining arena tour April 8, 2027, in Tulsa, Okla. — Russ Penuell, Billboard, 4 Nov. 2026

Since launching their tech show Hard Fork for the New York Times in 2022, Newton and Roose have staked themselves as two of the more prominent voices covering this arena. — Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2026

Xi said that the Gulf should not become an arena for great-power rivalry, even as Beijing steps up its Iran war diplomacy, with the world’s second-largest economy vulnerable to high energy and shipping prices. — Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 4 Nov. 2026

The Lakers unveiled a statue of their Showtime era coach outside their downtown arena last season. — ABC News, 3 Nov. 2026

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
• farina
• galena
• glossina
• hyena
• kachina

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