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 feeling of everyone supporting the same team in a single stadium is special.
—
Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 1 June 2025
The General Assembly adjourned its spring session without passing legislation to address the $771 million fiscal shortfall faced by Chicago-area mass transit, and also took no action on proposals to help the Chicago Bears relocate to a new stadium in the northwest suburbs.
—Dan Petrella, Chicago Tribune, 1 June 2025
Though the pop-rock band is still playing some summer festivals (Warped Tour, Shaky Knees and Aftershock), while opening for the Jonas Brothers in stadiums, these unconventional shows and the ensuing social media hype have revived the band’s early aughts buzz.
—Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 1 June 2025
In March, Inter and Milan proposed the acquisition of the current stadium and surrounding area, along with a feasibility plan for constructing a new state-of-the-art stadium.
—Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 31 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for stadium
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Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 1 June 2025
The General Assembly adjourned its spring session without passing legislation to address the $771 million fiscal shortfall faced by Chicago-area mass transit, and also took no action on proposals to help the Chicago Bears relocate to a new stadium in the northwest suburbs.
—Dan Petrella, Chicago Tribune, 1 June 2025
Though the pop-rock band is still playing some summer festivals (Warped Tour, Shaky Knees and Aftershock), while opening for the Jonas Brothers in stadiums, these unconventional shows and the ensuing social media hype have revived the band’s early aughts buzz.
—Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 1 June 2025
In March, Inter and Milan proposed the acquisition of the current stadium and surrounding area, along with a feasibility plan for constructing a new state-of-the-art stadium.
—Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 31 May 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 6 Jun. 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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