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

Now 93, with his baton mostly set aside, Williams still looms over the Bowl each summer, his music echoing through the amphitheater, played by the orchestra he helped make synonymous with Hollywood.

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But even as venues like stadiums bring in big audiences, one analyst during Live Nation’s earnings call noted that smaller venues, like arenas and amphitheaters, had been underperforming.

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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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Related Words

• auditorium