stadium
STAY-dee-um
/ˈsteɪdiəm/
A large building with tiers of seats for spectators, typically used for outdoor sports events.
Specifically refers to large-scale structures, often open to the sky, designed for sports like football, soccer, or track and field.
The story behind the word. The Greek 'stadion' was a unit of distance (about 600 feet). Because the footraces in ancient Greece were exactly one 'stadion' long, the place where the race happened eventually took the name of the distance itself.
Word relationships
- bowl: Used specifically for stadiums with a continuous, rounded seating shape (e.g., the Rose Bowl).
Word family
- stadia (noun): The classical plural of stadium.
Collocations
- football stadium
- stadium lights
- stadium capacity
- national stadium
Example sentences
- "The new Olympic stadium can hold over 80,000 spectators and features a retractable roof." Describing a massive sports event.
- "A stadium is a place where thousands of people who need exercise watch twenty-two people who need rest." A famous quote about the spirit of the game.
Memory hook
A 'stadium' is where you 'stay' in your 'seat' for a long time. Stadium = A long race distance.
When not to use
Avoid for small, indoor basketball courts.
Fun facts
- The first permanent stadium was built in Olympia in 776 BC for the first Olympic Games.
Related words
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