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

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

The nearly two-hour video showed a sprawling compound fitted out with lavish features, including a tea house, an amphitheater and a helipad.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

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

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2026

He has pledged to redevelop a swath of the National Mall into a “National Garden of American Heroes” that could reportedly feature dining facilities, an amphitheater, and hundreds of statues of famous Americans.

From Slate ● May 18, 2026

Cain has slipped away from the still-packed amphitheater, unnoticed by the jabbering crowd.

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir

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

And Live Nation controls two-thirds of the top amphitheaters in the U.S., so divesting from 10 of them is probably not going to make the biggest difference.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 10, 2026

Live Nation will also divest up to 13 amphitheaters and pay $280 million in damages to the nearly 40 states that were parties to the antitrust lawsuit against the California-based company.

From Barron's ● Mar. 9, 2026

Live Nation also says it doesn’t have to share its amphitheaters with rival promoters, citing Supreme Court precedent that lets companies protect their intellectual and physical property from rivals.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 2, 2026

Finally they came to one of the large amphitheaters into which several of the tunnels opened.

From The Girl in the Golden Atom by Cummings, Ray

Related Words

• auditorium