gladiator

American  

[glad-ee-ey-ter] / ˈglæd iˌeɪ tər /

noun

gladiators plural

1. (in ancient Rome) a person, often a slave or captive, who was armed with a sword or other weapon and compelled to fight to the death in a public arena against another person or a wild animal, for the entertainment of the spectators.

2. a person who engages in a fight or controversy.

3. a prizefighter.

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gladiator British  

/ ˈɡlædɪˌeɪtə /

noun

1. (in ancient Rome and Etruria) a man trained to fight in arenas to provide entertainment

2. a person who supports and fights publicly for a cause

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• gladiators
  plural

Etymology

Origin of gladiator

1535–45; < Latin gladiātor, equivalent to gladi ( us ) sword + -ātor -ator

Explanation

In ancient Rome, gladiators fought each other in front of an audience. Though these fights were called "games," they often ended in the death of one of the gladiators. Although they were celebrated in art and applauded for their strength and fighting skill, it wasn't easy to be an ancient Roman gladiator. They were essentially slaves who were forced to fight, sometimes being matched against wild animals or criminals. While the gladiator games may seem horrible to us today, they lasted almost a thousand years. The word gladiator comes from the Latin gladius, or "sword."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

gladiator gladiators

A gladiator, it seems, moved up the ranks—often through training and victories in the arena—“like a trainee orator moving from imaginary speeches to those of the courtroom.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 3, 2026

On this week’s Amicus podcast, Dahlia Lithwick talked with election law gladiator Marc Elias, chair of Elias Law Group and founder of Democracy Docket.

From Slate ● Feb. 10, 2026

“She’d go out there and be the last gladiator standing if it were up to her.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 7, 2026

With that as the framework from which “House of Ashur” operates, Tarabay understands the eternal allure of the gladiator as opposed to the serpentine psychological maneuvering of Roman senators.

From Salon ● Dec. 7, 2025

Along the Via Praetoria, rows of shops advertised food, armor, weapons, coffee, gladiator equipment, and toga rentals.

From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan

The planet’s brashest sport had arrived at what is putatively “The People’s House” to deliver a night of branded mayhem to the head of state, like gladiators bequeathed to an emperor.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026

Previously, he's compared looseheads and tightheads to Vikings and gladiators, he's spoken about how they co-exist on a different level to their fellow players, like "migrating bison".

From BBC ● Feb. 3, 2026

History is on the line in the Australian Open men's final on Sunday with tennis gladiators Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz each vowing no surrender.

From Barron's ● Jan. 31, 2026

But Ashur sees her and the rest of his gladiators as property, believing his wealth and diplomatic acumen can one day buy him a seat at the table of Rome’s most powerful.

From Salon ● Dec. 7, 2025

Tarzan—“his straight and perfect figure, muscled as the best of the ancient Roman gladiators must have been muscled”—exemplified the ultimate victory of nature over nurture.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee