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

The tour consisted of 83 shows and marked her first arena tour. —Janelle Ash, FOXNews.com, 6 Feb. 2026

The university also has plans for a new multipurpose arena that will serve as the home court for Texas volleyball. —Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 5 Feb. 2026

My colleagues Nasim Binesh, Kyriaki Kaplanidou and I recently published research examining how much impact the arena had on the hospitality industry in Detroit. —Gidon Jakar, The Conversation, 5 Feb. 2026

The experience extends beyond the arena. —Travis Lacoss, IndyStar, 5 Feb. 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
• equina
• farina
• galena
• glossina
• hyena

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