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

That courtship culminated Thursday with his introductory news conference in the arena lobby. — Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026

The arena is anticipated to open in 2030, coinciding with the WNBA's inaugural season in Philadelphia. — Kaitlyn McCormick, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026

The arena’s corridors were dotted with blow-up photos of the president in the Oval Office or pumping his fist in the air in Butler. — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 10 Sep. 2026

Ballmer, who can often be seen bouncing around like a hyper-caffeinated party animal in the Clippers’ home arena, Intuit Dome, is no shrinking violet — he was known as a ferociously hard-charging, hands-on leader at Microsoft. — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 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