gladiator

American  

[glad-ee-ay-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

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Etymology

Origin of gladiator

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

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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

Hunt says "looking good and feeling good" is all part of her process to get into the right mindset, and likens walking out on to the track to a gladiator entering an arena.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

They bonded over a shared disgust at gladiator shoes, and soon thereafter, were in a relationship.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 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

Commodus, now a teenager, had shown he had none of his father’s nature; he so preferred athletics to statecraft that some believed he’d been sired by a gladiator.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 11, 2026

But after MoMo's party I was sure half the hood thought I was some gladiator.

From "When I Was the Greatest" by Jason Reynolds

"After sunset is a lot more comfortable," Victor Li, 52, told AFP as he toured the arena and the underground passages where animals and gladiators were once held.

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

Who were the people chosen—one might say condemned—to serve as gladiators?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 3, 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

“Those are our gladiators who are going to do battle here,” announcer Scotty Ernst bellowed into the microphone.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2025

And while they cheered, the Emperor summoned the gladiators.

From "Tiger, Tiger" by Lynne Reid Banks

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