arena

noun

are·​na ə-ˈrē-nə How to pronounce arena (audio)
Synonyms of arenanext
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

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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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Bookstores needed a similar rehaul and every bit of Nike branding – on office, arena and stadium walls and hallways – had to be swapped in a no-swoosh left behind conversion to three stripes. — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026 Katsis was adept at managing major live acts, overseeing rollouts like Backstreet Boys’ Into the Millennium Tour and helping morph Korn and Limp Bizkit into perennial arena acts. — Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 6 Aug. 2026 Her compensation as stated in the latest available tax filings outstrips the pay for leaders of much larger nonprofits in the homelessness arena. — Audrey McGlinchy, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026 What seemed like a low barrier for starting a company and finding investors — spurring viral storylines around 19-year-old blockchain CEOs and other such novelties — has given way to a high sense of precarity for people entering today’s arena. — Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 5 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for arena

Word History

Etymology

Latin harena, arena sand, sandy place

First Known Use

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of arena was in 1600

Phrases Containing arena

Rhymes for arena

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Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Arena.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arena. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

arena

noun
are·​na ə-ˈrē-nə How to pronounce arena (audio)
1
: an enclosed area used for public entertainment
2
: a building containing an arena
3
: a field of activity
the political arena

More from Merriam-Webster on arena

Nglish: Translation of arena for Spanish Speakers

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