stadium

American  

[stey-dee-uhm] / ˈsteɪ di əm /

noun

plural

stadiums, stadia

1. a sports arena, usually oval or horseshoe-shaped, with tiers of seats for spectators.

2. an ancient Greek course for foot races, typically semicircular, with tiers of seats for spectators.

3. an ancient Greek and Roman unit of length, the Athenian unit being equal to about 607 feet (185 meters).

4. a stage in a process or in the life of an organism.

5. Entomology. stage.

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stadium British  

/ ˈsteɪdɪəm /

noun

1. a sports arena with tiered seats for spectators

2. (in ancient Greece) a course for races, usually located between two hills providing natural slopes for tiers of seats

3. an ancient Greek measure of length equivalent to about 607 feet or 184 metres

4. (in many arthropods) the interval between two consecutive moultings

5. obsolete a particular period or stage in the development of a disease

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Etymology

Origin of stadium

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin < Greek stádion unit of distance, racecourse

Explanation

A stadium is a large outdoor venue for sports or concerts. If you were a Roman emperor, you might've watched a chariot race at a stadium, but these days you're more likely to go to a stadium to see a football game or your favorite band. The word stadium is the Latin form of the Greek stadion, which was a length of about 600 human feet. Running tracks at the earliest Greek Olympics were approximately one stadion in length, and Roman tracks of a similar size were surrounded by tiered seating — which led to the English meaning of stadium, a track or field in the middle of tiered seats.

Example Sentences

Once from a humble background, he has now poured money into the community here, building his own football stadium and football academy.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

Every eye in the stadium was fixed on Wilson as he knelt in the starting blocks awaiting the start of the 400 meters.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026

Steve Turk, a partner at vacation rental company Tangy Management, said rentals in Miami are booking at higher rates on Inter Miami match weekends, especially within driving distance of the stadium.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

"You could see the relief not only around the stadium but among the players."

From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026

The crowd rushed into the stadium, a stampede to get the best seats.

From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega

Related Words

• amphitheater
• field
• garden
• gymnasium