gladiator
noun
glad·i·a·tor
ˈgla-dē-ˌā-tər 
1
: a person engaged in a fight to the death as public entertainment for ancient Romans
2
: a person engaging in a public fight or controversy
3
: a trained fighter
especially
: a professional boxer
Examples of gladiator in a Sentence
the two punch-drunk gladiators stumbled to their corners
Recent Examples on the Web
The package, with a photograph of a masked gladiator on the wrapping, was found after 8 p.m. near mile marker 79.5 in Upper Matecumbe Key, according to the sheriff’s office.
—
David Goodhue
july 3, Miami Herald, 3 July 2025
The Colosseum dates back to 72 A.D. and was the largest amphitheater in the Roman Empire, a place where thousands gathered to watch gladiators fight.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2025
Based on the fact that the remains appeared to belong mainly to young men—and that many exhibited signs of trauma in the form of bone fractures or decapitation in an execution-style—it had long been speculated that the burials could be of gladiators.
—Ian Randall, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Apr. 2025
Bite marks on the skeleton of a Yorkshire gladiator were found to be evidence of death by lion.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for gladiator
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David Goodhue
july 3, Miami Herald, 3 July 2025
The Colosseum dates back to 72 A.D. and was the largest amphitheater in the Roman Empire, a place where thousands gathered to watch gladiators fight.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2025
Based on the fact that the remains appeared to belong mainly to young men—and that many exhibited signs of trauma in the form of bone fractures or decapitation in an execution-style—it had long been speculated that the burials could be of gladiators.
—Ian Randall, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Apr. 2025
Bite marks on the skeleton of a Yorkshire gladiator were found to be evidence of death by lion.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for gladiator
Cite this Entry
“Gladiator.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gladiator. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
gladiator
noun
glad·i·a·tor
ˈglad-ē-ˌāt-ər
1
: a person engaged in a fight to the death for public entertainment in ancient Rome
2
: a person engaging in a fierce fight or controversy
Etymology
from Latin gladiator, literally, "swordsman," from gladius "sword" — related to gladiolus
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