gladiator
n. countablen. a person in ancient Rome who fought against other people or wild animals to entertain the public. These fighters were often slaves or prisoners who fought in large stadiums.
n. a person, typically a slave or captive, who engaged in public combat for the entertainment of ancient Roman audiences. Often used metaphorically in modern contexts to describe a person involved in a fierce public struggle or competition.
The gladiator entered the arena to face his opponent.
Historians study the lives of gladiators to understand the social hierarchy and entertainment culture of the Roman Empire.
The film depicts the brutal reality of the arena, where the gladiator's survival depended as much on the crowd's fickle mercy as on his own martial skill.
From Latin gladiātor, from gladius (“sword”). See also English gladius.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Commonly used in the plural to refer to the class of fighters as a whole.
Last updated May 7, 2026