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

Former Kansas City Royals outfielder Mark Canha has stepped into a new arena. — Kansas City Star, 16 July 2026

To be clear, tunnel fits aren’t exclusive to the NBA—or to sports arenas and stadiums. — Nethumi Kannangara, Sportico.com, 15 July 2026

Last year, following the massive success of 2024’s The Secret of Us and its even bigger deluxe, Abrams took her ever-personal pop songs to arenas across the country, proving her power with each show. — Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 15 July 2026

The arena comic convinced Guido to do a five-minute set — which Guido worked on for two weeks — at the Brea Improv. — Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 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