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

• auditorium
• amphitheater
• theatre

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

Plenty of thought clearly also went into creating the right ambience from the moment the team bus pulls up behind the West Stand judging by the different lighting and imagery used to shift the mood as the players pass through the bowels of the arena. —Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2025

For 2025, a single game is set for the home arena of the WHL’s Everett Silvertips, just north of Seattle. —Carol Schram, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025

Kinloch noted the Legislature has shown no inclination to advance bills that create arena taxes. —Malachi Barrett, Freep.com, 5 Sep. 2025

That same year the Clippers and Aspiration signed deals that contemplated a $300 million partnership for Aspiration to sponsor the Clippers’ arena and the team’s jersey patch. —Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 5 Sep. 2025

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