stadium
noun
sta·di·um
ˈstā-dē-əm 
plural stadiums or stadia
ˈstā-dē-ə
1
: a large usually roofless building with tiers of seats for spectators at sports events
2
a
: a tiered structure with seats for spectators surrounding an ancient Greek running track
b
: a course for footraces in ancient Greece
3
a
: any of various ancient Greek units of length ranging in value from 607 to 738 feet (about 185 to 225 meters)
b
: an ancient Roman unit of length equal to 607 feet (185 meters)
4
[New Latin, from Latin]
: a stage in a life history
especially
: one between successive molts of an insect
Examples of stadium in a Sentence
the football game will be held at the new stadium, which seats 100,000 people
Recent Examples on the Web
The souvenir stalls outside the stadium which do a roaring trade on matchdays are also feeling the squeeze from the lack of games — and the bad weather that accompanied the ones that were played recently against Chelsea and Sunderland.
—
Andy Mitten, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
The rockers are added to the lineup of the support acts for AC/DC’s stadium concerts this December in Perth, produced by TEG Van Egmond.
—Lars Brandle, Billboard, 24 Oct. 2025
In Pahani’s 2006 award-winning comedy Offside, about the cruel cultural chains binding Iranian women, a group of young women attempt to gain entry to a stadium to watch a World Cup qualifying match between Iran and Japan.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 24 Oct. 2025
Another extension that will connect the Berkley Riverfront and KC Current stadium to the system is expected to open in 2026.
—Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stadium
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Andy Mitten, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
The rockers are added to the lineup of the support acts for AC/DC’s stadium concerts this December in Perth, produced by TEG Van Egmond.
—Lars Brandle, Billboard, 24 Oct. 2025
In Pahani’s 2006 award-winning comedy Offside, about the cruel cultural chains binding Iranian women, a group of young women attempt to gain entry to a stadium to watch a World Cup qualifying match between Iran and Japan.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 24 Oct. 2025
Another extension that will connect the Berkley Riverfront and KC Current stadium to the system is expected to open in 2026.
—Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stadium
Cite this Entry
“Stadium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stadium. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
stadium
noun
sta·di·um
ˈstād-ē-əm
plural stadia
-ē-ə
or stadiums
1
: a course for footraces in ancient Greece with rows of seats for spectators
2
plural usually stadiums
: a large usually roofless building with rows of seats for spectators at modern sports events
Etymology
Middle English stadium "a course for races in ancient Greece, a large structure for sports events," from Latin stadium (same meaning), from Greek stadion "a course for footraces, a unit of measurement"
Word Origin
A stadion in ancient Greece was a unit of measurement equal to about 180 meters. One of the most important events in the ancient Olympic Games was a footrace exactly one stadion long. The course on which the race was run, including the raised seats from which spectators watched, was also known as a stadion. This word was later borrowed into Latin as stadium. In time, it also came to be used to refer to larger structures in which different kinds of athletic contests were held. That is how the English word stadium is usually used.
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