amphitheater

American  

[am-fuh-thee-uh-ter, -thee^uh-ter, am-puh-] / ˈæm fəˌθi ə tər, -ˌθiə tər, ˈæm pə- /

Or amphitheatre

noun

• amphitheaters
  plural

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.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• amphitheatric
  adjective
• amphitheatrical
  adjective
• amphitheatrically
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• amphitheaters
  plural

Etymology

Origin of amphitheater

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

Explanation

The "amphi" of amphitheater means "on both sides" in Greek. Ancient amphitheaters were exactly as described: open-air theaters that allowed spectators to sit on both sides of the action. Today, the word amphitheater is used to mean any large, semicircular theater space. Often, although not always, they are outdoor spaces where concerts, theater, and other performances can be held. The Hollywood Bowl is an example of a modern amphitheater, where groups like Monty Python and the Beatles have performed. An amphitheater is also a large gallery overlooking an operating room in a hospital — usually used for teaching purposes.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

amphitheater amphitheaters

Visiting the amphitheater where he was nearly killed, he says he has achieved something like closure.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

What they’re really entering is a natural amphitheater, transformed by the Tour de France, into one of the greatest stadiums in sports.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

On Thursday it was announced that the flick will be screened at The Ford amphitheater on July 8 to honor its notable benchmark and enduring legacy.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026

“Long Beach having an amphitheater is going to grow the market again.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2026

I could make out an open-air market filled with colorful tents, a stone amphitheater built on one side of the mountain, a hippodrome and a coliseum on the other.

From "The Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan

More than 143 million tickets had been sold through mid-July, a record, with “mid-teens” sales gains across stadiums, arenas and amphitheaters, the company said.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 2026

Marriott also argued the states had manipulated industry data to overstate its market share, excluding hundreds of arenas and amphitheaters from the calculation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 15, 2026

The company, which owns 56 of the United States’ highest-grossing amphitheaters, has to divest 13 of those stages, release them from their exclusive Ticketmaster contracts, and agree never to reacquire them.

From Slate ● Mar. 10, 2026

The key points of the settlement include an over $200-million payment, a divestment from some amphitheaters, a gradual end to exclusive ticketing contracts with venues, and opening up Ticketmaster’s platform to competitors.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 10, 2026

The spaces drained by these little canyons are terraced, and are, to a greater or less extent, of the form of amphitheaters, though some are oblong and some rather irregular.

From Canyons of the Colorado by John Wesley Powell

Related Words

• auditorium