amphitheater

Or am·phi·the·a·tre

[am-fuh-thee-uh-ter, -thee^uh-ter, am-puh-]

noun

1. an open-air, oval or round building with tiers of seats around a central open area, as those used in ancient Rome for gladiatorial contests.

2. any similar indoor or outdoor place for public contests, games, performances, exhibitions, etc.; an arena, stadium, or auditorium.

3. a room having tiers of seats arranged around a central area, in which students and other observers can view surgery, hear lectures, etc.

4. British.

   1. the first section of seats in the gallery of a theater.

   2. a designated section of seats in any part of a theater.

5. a level area of oval or circular shape surrounded by rising ground.

Other Word Forms

• amphitheatric adjective
• amphitheatrical adjective
• amphitheatrically adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of amphitheater¹

First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin amphitheātrum, from Greek amphithéātron; amphi-, theater

Example Sentences

There would be public spaces, including an auditorium and an amphitheater where visitors could hear concerts in a landscaped setting high above the street.

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The 9/11 memorial had been set up at an outdoor amphitheater inside the campus.

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“So these are kind of my first two proper solo shows” at the iconic hillside amphitheater, he says.

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The opening notes incur full-body goosebumps in an August summer heat just from the power of being in its presence out at Pine Knob, the famed outdoor amphitheater located in the Detroit suburbs.

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It’s a rainy day back in March, as the Australian trio work through different live sets for different situations — festivals, arenas, large amphitheaters and, most significantly, their own slate of stadium headline shows.

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Related Words

• auditorium