gladiatorial
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of gladiatorial
1745–55; < Latin gladiātōri ( us ) ( see gladiator, -tory 1) + -al 1
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.
The instinct goes even further, suggesting that what should be celebrated above all else is the idea of the lone hero, the one who covers themselves in the glory of gladiatorial combat.
From Slate • Jun. 16, 2026
“The important point,” Mr. Sidebottom notes, “is the Romans unanimously believed another people had invented gladiatorial fights.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026
That isn’t enough to sway the gladiatorial majority, which is mostly made up of men grinning at the fattening piggy bank suspended above them.
From Salon • Jun. 27, 2025
"For years our understanding of Roman gladiatorial combat and animal spectacles has relied heavily on historical texts and artistic depictions," he said.
From BBC • Apr. 23, 2025
His happiness, it turned out, was because he had killed seven mice and was feeling very proud—not to say pumped up and gladiatorial.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
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.
