stadium

noun

sta·​di·​um ˈstā-dē-əm 

plural stadiums or stadia ˈstā-dē-ə 

1

: a large usually roofless building with tiers of seats for spectators at sports events

2

a

: a tiered structure with seats for spectators surrounding an ancient Greek running track

b

: a course for footraces in ancient Greece

3

a

: any of various ancient Greek units of length ranging in value from 607 to 738 feet (about 185 to 225 meters)

b

: an ancient Roman unit of length equal to 607 feet (185 meters)

4

[New Latin, from Latin] : a stage in a life history

especially : one between successive molts of an insect

Synonyms

• bowl
• circus
• coliseum
• colosseum

Examples of stadium in a Sentence

the football game will be held at the new stadium, which seats 100,000 people

Recent Examples on the Web

The series is dedicated to celebrating the life-changing impact of some of the biggest moments in sports, including the journeys, lessons and memories that transcend the walls of the arenas and stadiums. —Carol Schram, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024

In addition to Saturday being a prime day for attracting an in-person audience, the regularity of the schedule may enable fans to better plan trips to the stadium. —Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 21 Oct. 2024

The water break has not affected the water supply to the football stadium, according a spokesman for the athletics department. —Nwa Democrat-Gazette, arkansasonline.com, 19 Oct. 2024

Popular on Variety Though Florida is not in play, the DNC is still paying for billboards around Miami, as well as a mobile billboard on a boat near the stadium, all with a Swift tie-in: The aim is to remind Swifties to register to vote and make a plan to cast their ballots. —Gene Maddaus, Variety, 18 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin, from Greek stadion

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3a

Kids Definition

stadium

noun

sta·​di·​um ˈstād-ē-əm 

plural stadia

-ē-ə

or stadiums

1

: a course for footraces in ancient Greece with rows of seats for spectators

2

plural usually stadiums : a large usually roofless building with rows of seats for spectators at modern sports events

Etymology

Middle English stadium "a course for races in ancient Greece, a large structure for sports events," from Latin stadium (same meaning), from Greek stadion "a course for footraces, a unit of measurement"

Word Origin

A stadion in ancient Greece was a unit of measurement equal to about 180 meters. One of the most important events in the ancient Olympic Games was a footrace exactly one stadion long. The course on which the race was run, including the raised seats from which spectators watched, was also known as a stadion. This word was later borrowed into Latin as stadium. In time, it also came to be used to refer to larger structures in which different kinds of athletic contests were held. That is how the English word stadium is usually used.