Colosseum
noun
an ancient amphitheater in Rome, begun a.d. c70 by Vespasian, having the form of an oval 617 by 512 feet (188 by 156 meters).
Colosseum
American
[kol-uh-see-uhm]
/ ˌkɒl əˈsi əm /
noun
-
an ancient amphitheater in Rome, begun a.d. c70 by Vespasian, having the form of an oval 617 by 512 feet (188 by 156 meters).
-
(lowercase) coliseum.
colosseum
1
British
/ ˌkɒləˈsɪəm /
noun
Colosseum
2
British
/ ˌkɒləˈsɪəm /
noun
Colosseum
Cultural
Discover More
According to tradition, persecuted Christians (see also Christian) were fed to lions in the Colosseum for the entertainment of the Romans. (See also bread and circuses.)
Some of the contests staged in the Colosseum were between gladiators, who fought with swords; some were between people and animals. The arena could even be flooded for mock sea battles.
Etymology
Origin of Colosseum
< Latin, noun use of neuter of colossēus gigantic < Greek kolossiaîos, equivalent to koloss ( ós ) colossus + -iaios adj. suffix
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The Colosseum has extended opening hours at night this summer to allow more visitors to see the famous Roman amphitheatre in cooler temperatures after sunset.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
The Colosseum was already offering tours two nights a week but doubled that number to four this summer.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
Many of these tourists are visiting multiple times a year, stopping at the Eiffel Tower and the Colosseum, but also taking country walks in the Cotswolds and Viking cruises on the Danube.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
The Colosseum is not prescriptive about when people should visit, instead directing visitors to guidance from the regional authorities.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
Finally they reached the Colosseum, where a dozen guys in cheap gladiator costumes were scuffling with the police—plastic swords versus batons.
From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan
The city does not close down for the nine official days of mourning as it used to, although the colosseum will close tonight as a mark of respect.
From BBC ● Apr. 23, 2025
The media built him up, and as we saw in the Roman colosseum, the thumbs-up can quickly turn to thumbs-down.
From Slate ● Sep. 4, 2024
A plaster cast of each player's torso greets them as they enter the massive stage where they initially gather, rendering them awestruck at the sight of this cross between a colosseum and a museum.
From Salon ● Feb. 20, 2023
The celebrations went on all night in Rome as fans lit flares in front of the colosseum and buzzed and honked their way through historic piazzas on their scooters.
From Seattle Times ● May 26, 2022
The colosseum was packed to its rounded walls.
From "Tiger, Tiger" by Lynne Reid Banks
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
