arena

noun

are·​na ə-ˈrē-nə How to pronounce arena (audio)
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Lenders are financing discrete pieces of the ecosystem rather than entire teams—broadcast receivables, naming rights, arena redevelopment or ancillary real estate. Joseph Glatt, Sportico.com, 21 Nov. 2025 India had been gauging interest from potential foreign buyers at the week-long airshow, a major arena for global arms and airliner markets and well-known for bold displays making use of wide vistas of airspace. Shivam Patel, USA Today, 21 Nov. 2025 The arena was packed with hundreds of fans (with millions watching the YouTube stream), all screaming their favorite competitor’s name, egging them on to solve the creative puzzle — known as a case — broadcast on the big screen. Shikhar Sachdev, HubSpot, 21 Nov. 2025 Monica welcomed Max to the stage with a warm embrace, and the Harlem native shook up the shocked arena crowd. Michael Saponara, Billboard, 21 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for arena

Word History

Etymology

Latin harena, arena sand, sandy place

First Known Use

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of arena was in 1600

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Arena.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arena. Accessed 25 Nov. 2025.

Kids Definition

arena

noun
are·​na ə-ˈrē-nə How to pronounce arena (audio)
1
: an enclosed area used for public entertainment
2
: a building containing an arena
3
: a field of activity
the political arena

More from Merriam-Webster on arena

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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