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
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
Attendees were required to pass through a metal detector upon entering the downtown Grand Rapids indoor arena, yet the presence of security inside appeared consistent with previous events.
—
Jill Colvin, Chicago Tribune, 20 July 2024
The Suns regularly sell out the arena, with 121 in a row, including playoffs, since Dec. 19, 2021.
—Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 20 July 2024
The two are the front-runners for WNBA rookie of the year, and fans have sold out arenas around the league to see them.
—Kareem Copeland, Washington Post, 20 July 2024
Melissa Sue Gerrits—Getty Images Read More: The Biden Dilemma
Tiffany Trump
Donald Trump’s fourth child, Tiffany, stood with her father in the arena at the RNC.
—Rebecca Schneid, TIME, 20 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for arena 
Jill Colvin, Chicago Tribune, 20 July 2024
The Suns regularly sell out the arena, with 121 in a row, including playoffs, since Dec. 19, 2021.
—Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 20 July 2024
The two are the front-runners for WNBA rookie of the year, and fans have sold out arenas around the league to see them.
—Kareem Copeland, Washington Post, 20 July 2024
Melissa Sue Gerrits—Getty Images Read More: The Biden Dilemma
Tiffany Trump
Donald Trump’s fourth child, Tiffany, stood with her father in the arena at the RNC.
—Rebecca Schneid, TIME, 20 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for arena
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'arena.' 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 arena
Cite this Entry
“Arena.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arena. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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