gladiator
noun
glad·i·a·tor
ˈgla-dē-ˌā-tər 
1
: a person engaged in a fight to the death as public entertainment for ancient Romans
2
: a person engaging in a public fight or controversy
3
: a trained fighter
especially
: a professional boxer
Examples of gladiator in a Sentence
the two punch-drunk gladiators stumbled to their corners
Recent Examples on the Web
They were infames lumped in with gladiators and prostitutes at the very bottom of the social ladder.
—
Chris Schembra, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2025
Now a protector of animals and a champion of the downtrodden, Sonja runs afoul of the tyrant Draygan (Robert Sheehan) and ends up enslaved alongside other gladiators for sport, ultimately leading a revolt alongside her new compatriots.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2025
To answer the obvious question first, yes, Lutz’s Red Sonja does wear the iconic chainmail bikini while fighting gladiator-style, which, let’s face it, doesn’t offer a lot of bodily protection.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 13 Aug. 2025
Human activities played a huge part in the lion subspecies' decline, the AP reported, adding that many of the lions were killed by gladiators in Roman times.
—Becca Longmire, People.com, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gladiator
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Chris Schembra, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2025
Now a protector of animals and a champion of the downtrodden, Sonja runs afoul of the tyrant Draygan (Robert Sheehan) and ends up enslaved alongside other gladiators for sport, ultimately leading a revolt alongside her new compatriots.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2025
To answer the obvious question first, yes, Lutz’s Red Sonja does wear the iconic chainmail bikini while fighting gladiator-style, which, let’s face it, doesn’t offer a lot of bodily protection.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 13 Aug. 2025
Human activities played a huge part in the lion subspecies' decline, the AP reported, adding that many of the lions were killed by gladiators in Roman times.
—Becca Longmire, People.com, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gladiator
Cite this Entry
“Gladiator.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gladiator. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
gladiator
noun
glad·i·a·tor
ˈglad-ē-ˌāt-ər
1
: a person engaged in a fight to the death for public entertainment in ancient Rome
2
: a person engaging in a fierce fight or controversy
Etymology
from Latin gladiator, literally, "swordsman," from gladius "sword" — related to gladiolus
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