stadium
Americannoun
-
a sports arena, usually oval or horseshoe-shaped, with tiers of seats for spectators.
-
an ancient Greek course for foot races, typically semicircular, with tiers of seats for spectators.
-
an ancient Greek and Roman unit of length, the Athenian unit being equal to about 607 feet (185 meters).
-
a stage in a process or in the life of an organism.
-
Entomology. stage.
noun
-
a sports arena with tiered seats for spectators
-
(in ancient Greece) a course for races, usually located between two hills providing natural slopes for tiers of seats
-
an ancient Greek measure of length equivalent to about 607 feet or 184 metres
-
(in many arthropods) the interval between two consecutive moultings
-
obsolete a particular period or stage in the development of a disease
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of stadium
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin < Greek stádion unit of distance, racecourse
Explanation
A stadium is a large outdoor venue for sports or concerts. If you were a Roman emperor, you might've watched a chariot race at a stadium, but these days you're more likely to go to a stadium to see a football game or your favorite band. The word stadium is the Latin form of the Greek stadion, which was a length of about 600 human feet. Running tracks at the earliest Greek Olympics were approximately one stadion in length, and Roman tracks of a similar size were surrounded by tiered seating — which led to the English meaning of stadium, a track or field in the middle of tiered seats.
Vocabulary lists containing stadium
Set, Hut! Football Vocabulary
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Smashing Lexicon of Tennis
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Ancient Rome - Introductory
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Hodgkinson was emotional as she stood at the side of the track before making her way back inside the Alexander Stadium.
From BBC • Jun. 21, 2026
The noise became so overwhelming that few in the arena—the old Chicago Stadium for the first three championships, the United Center for the final three—could discern what followed.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 21, 2026
GUADALAJARA, México — While Mexico defeated South Korea at Guadalajara Stadium on Thursday in front of an elated crowd, protesters outside expressed a very different view of the World Cup’s impact on the city.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 21, 2026
It was the eighth inning of the St. Louis Cardinals’ game on May 15, and Bryce Bradford decided the Busch Stadium crowd needed a boost.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 21, 2026
Arrangements were also made for chartered planes and buses to go to the game at Texas Stadium in Irving.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
