plural arcades
1
: a long arched building or gallery
2
a
: an arched covered passageway or avenue (as between shops)
b
chiefly British
: a building that includes many shops
A job fair … today will introduce locals to the details of the 250 jobs that a new shopping arcade will bring when its doors open this autumn.—
The Journal (Newcastle, England)
The Journal (Newcastle, England)3
: a series of arches with their columns or piers
4
: an amusement center having coin-operated games
Examples of arcade in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Consider the early chapter on Shigeru Miyamoto, who got his first big break in 1980 when Nintendo ordered 3,000 arcade cabinets for its Space Invaders rip-off Radar Scope.
—Alexander Kaplan, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026
The project focused on a semicircular piazza outside the arena, where Roman spectators crowded under two arcades comprised of marble columns stretching up to 50 meters (164 feet) high.
—ABC News, 17 Mar. 2026
Okana may borrow notes from the Great Wolf Lodge playbook (say, with its on-site arcade), but the overall vibe lands closer to Beaches Resort than to a theme park.
—Kinsey Gidick, Travel + Leisure, 15 Mar. 2026
Children and their parents enjoyed the pool, miniature golf, and an arcade.
—Bill Hancock, Kansas City Star, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for arcade
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Alexander Kaplan, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026
The project focused on a semicircular piazza outside the arena, where Roman spectators crowded under two arcades comprised of marble columns stretching up to 50 meters (164 feet) high.
—ABC News, 17 Mar. 2026
Okana may borrow notes from the Great Wolf Lodge playbook (say, with its on-site arcade), but the overall vibe lands closer to Beaches Resort than to a theme park.
—Kinsey Gidick, Travel + Leisure, 15 Mar. 2026
Children and their parents enjoyed the pool, miniature golf, and an arcade.
—Bill Hancock, Kansas City Star, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for arcade
Cite this Entry
“Arcade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arcade. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
arcade
noun
ar·cade
är-ˈkād 
1
: a row of arches with the columns that support them
2
: an arched or covered passageway (as between shops)
3
: a place with many games to be played by putting coins or tokens in them
Medical Definition
arcade
noun
ar·cade
är-ˈkād
1
: an anatomical structure comprising a series of arches
2
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