1. of, relating to, or characteristic of gladiators or gladiatorial combat in ancient Rome
2. resembling or suggestive of a fierce, brutal, or combative contest
Usage: figurative

Examples

• The museum displayed gladiatorial armor and weapons from the Roman era.
• Ancient Rome held gladiatorial games in the Colosseum to entertain crowds.
• The debate took on a gladiatorial tone as the two candidates attacked each other's records.
• Historians study gladiatorial combat to understand Roman society and entertainment.
• The gladiatorial spectacles were brutal public events that lasted for hours.
• Modern sports commentators sometimes use gladiatorial language to describe intense competitions.