gladiatore
/ɡla.djaˈto.re/masculine
The English word gladiator is gladiatore in Italian.
In Italian, gladiatore refers to a person, often a professional or a slave, who entertained the public in ancient Rome by fighting in mortal combat against another person or a wild animal.
Meaning: (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is derived from the Latin gladius, which means 'sword'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine singular form is gladiatore. To refer to a group of gladiators, use the masculine plural gladiatori. If you are referring specifically to a female gladiator, the feminine form is gladiatrice.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 4 syllables, with the stress on the third syllable: /ɡla.djaˈto.re/.
Did you know?
- While gladiatore implies a warrior, the word gladius is the root of the Italian word gladiola, referring to the sword-lily flower due to its blade-like leaves.
- Ancient Rome had different classes of gladiatori with specific names, such as the retiarius who fought with a net and trident instead of the sword implied by the word's root.
- In Italian, the phrase lotta gladiatoria is sometimes used to describe a fierce and brutal conflict, even when no actual fighting or weapons are involved.
Examples in context
- Il miglior gladiatore combatterà oggi.The best gladiator fights today.This sentence demonstrates the use of gladiatore.Tatoeba #10698618 by carlosalberto, translation #10698604 by carlosalberto
- Nell'antica Roma, i gladiatori erano considerati eroi.In ancient Rome, gladiators were considered heroes.
- Il gladiatore combatte nell'arena.The gladiator fights in the arena.
- Quel gladiatore è molto coraggioso.That gladiator is very brave.
Example conversation
Two friends are visiting a museum of ancient Rome.
- MartinaGuarda questo elmo da gladiatore!Look at this gladiator helmet!
- AlessandroÈ incredibile, era fatto di bronzo.It is incredible, it was made of bronze.
- MartinaPensi che ogni gladiatore lo usasse?Do you think every gladiator used it?
- AlessandroNo, dipendeva dal tipo di combattimento.No, it depended on the type of combat.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “gladiator” translations and entries gladiatore, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
