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

It is centered around a 20,000-seat arena large enough to support an NHL franchise if one were announced for the Atlanta area. — Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Arthur Ashe Stadium, the highest-capacity arena in tennis, is halfway through an $800 million renovation, which will reconfigure it toward the premium hospitality that the USTA says its most moneyed customers demand. — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026

There’s actually some precedent for sports broadcasters leaving the press box for bigger arenas. — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Aug. 2026

With a protest against transgender athletes scheduled an hour before tipoff outside of the arena in San Francisco, Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase and Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve were asked about the ongoing topic. — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 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
• farina
• galena
• glossina
• hyena
• kachina

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