gladiator
Americannoun
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(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.
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a person who engages in a fight or controversy.
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a prizefighter.
noun
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(in ancient Rome and Etruria) a man trained to fight in arenas to provide entertainment
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a person who supports and fights publicly for a cause
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."
Vocabulary lists containing gladiator
Ancient Rome - Introductory
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Ancient Rome - Middle School and High School
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The Roman and Byzantine Empires, Lessons 3–4
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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.
Bigg announced the news on his Instagram page on Friday, saying that being a Gladiator had been "one of the greatest honours of my life".
From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026
The White House's X account has meanwhile posted its own war-themed content -- combining battlefield footage with clips from films such as "Iron Man," "Gladiator" and "Top Gun."
From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026
Phantom vs Price - can a Gladiator keep up with a world champion?
From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026
World champions Miura and Kihara had already topped Friday's short programme, and were error-free in their free skate to the "Gladiator" soundtrack.
From Barron's • Feb. 8, 2026
Jungle gym Gladiator isn’t crazy like an age-old coliseum match, but I’ve seen schoolmates get hurt before.
From "They Both Die at the End" by Adam Silvera
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.
