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
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
And just days after Bezos first acquired the Post back in the 2010s, another ultra-wealthy investor entered the arena; billionaire Red Sox owner John Henry purchased the heritage paper Boston Globe for $70 million.
—
Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 19 Feb. 2026
The women's hockey gold medal game is 40 minutes from starting as both teams take the ice to start their warmups inside this arena.
—Sean Nevin, NBC news, 19 Feb. 2026
Pawtucket hockey arena shooting latest On Wednesday, the Pawtucket Police Department said that searches were conducted along with Maine State Police and the FBI at Dorgan's apartment and work locker in Bath, Maine and also at a storage unit in Brunswick, Maine.
—Matt Schooley, CBS News, 19 Feb. 2026
As fans headed to the exits, the US stars stayed on the ice, skating around with their nation’s flag wrapped around them, their screams of delight heard from the seats at the back of the arena.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for arena
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Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 19 Feb. 2026
The women's hockey gold medal game is 40 minutes from starting as both teams take the ice to start their warmups inside this arena.
—Sean Nevin, NBC news, 19 Feb. 2026
Pawtucket hockey arena shooting latest On Wednesday, the Pawtucket Police Department said that searches were conducted along with Maine State Police and the FBI at Dorgan's apartment and work locker in Bath, Maine and also at a storage unit in Brunswick, Maine.
—Matt Schooley, CBS News, 19 Feb. 2026
As fans headed to the exits, the US stars stayed on the ice, skating around with their nation’s flag wrapped around them, their screams of delight heard from the seats at the back of the arena.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for arena
Cite this Entry
“Arena.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arena. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
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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