gladiator

[glad-ee-ey-ter]

noun

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.

gladiator

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of gladiator¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of gladiator¹

C16: from Latin: swordsman, from gladius sword

Example Sentences

Last year, the California attorney general’s office won indictments against 30 officers who either orchestrated or allowed youths to engage in “gladiator fights.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

But football is “violent chess. That is gladiators without swords. That is dangerous. The whole season, I am locked in on what that man is doing on the field.”

Read more on Salon

Your instinct might be 'very little' yet there is one key similarity - both men have been cast as the lead gladiator in a must-watch box-office battle.

Read more on BBC

I loved singing the end title to “Troy,” and nobody would think this guy needs to sing about gladiators.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

She launches into how she likes to style her brown snakeskin Chloé Silverado bag — with “one of those skirts that you can cinch and pull up a bit” and “gladiator sandals.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times