stadium

American  

[stey-dee-uhm] / ˈsteɪ di əm /

noun

plural

stadiums, stadia

1. a sports arena, usually oval or horseshoe-shaped, with tiers of seats for spectators.

2. an ancient Greek course for foot races, typically semicircular, with tiers of seats for spectators.

3. an ancient Greek and Roman unit of length, the Athenian unit being equal to about 607 feet (185 meters).

4. a stage in a process or in the life of an organism.

5. Entomology. stage.

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stadium British  

/ ˈsteɪdɪəm /

noun

1. a sports arena with tiered seats for spectators

2. (in ancient Greece) a course for races, usually located between two hills providing natural slopes for tiers of seats

3. an ancient Greek measure of length equivalent to about 607 feet or 184 metres

4. (in many arthropods) the interval between two consecutive moultings

5. obsolete a particular period or stage in the development of a disease

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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.

Example Sentences

There was a nervous atmosphere inside the stadium, with loose passes met by groans from the home supporters as it was clear that the Gunners were not at their best.

From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026

The latest example of Messi’s economic pull: last week’s inauguration of the club’s new stadium, which Inter Miami raced to complete after his arrival.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

They even wrapped it up with into a noise-staggered breakdown that felt like actual stadium rock.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2026

In December, Lens became only the third Ligue 1 team to own their home stadium, buying the property from the local authorities in a move which Parrot hopes will help diversify the club's income.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

The latest news from Mobutu is that he’s bringing two great American boxers, Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, to the stadium in Kinshasa.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

Related Words

• amphitheater
• field
• garden
• gymnasium