Basic Details
Word: Amphitheatre
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: A round or oval building without a roof, with rows of seats rising around an open central space, like those built by the ancient Romans.
Synonyms: arena, stadium
Word origin: Comes from Greek amphitheatron, from amphi, on both sides, and theatron, theatre.
How to Spell Amphitheatre
Syllables: am - phi - the - a - tre
Tricky part: The f sound is spelt ph, and theatre keeps the British re ending and its ea.
Watch out for: amfitheatre, ampitheatre, amphitheatr
Memory tip: Amphi means on both sides, as in amphibian, an animal that lives on land and in water. An amphitheatre has seats on every side of the theatre.
Usage Examples
Example 1: Our school's open-air amphitheatre hosts the annual day play.
Example 2: The steps of the old amphitheatre were warm from the afternoon sun.
Example 3: Tourists sat in the ancient amphitheatre and listened to the guide.
Fun Fact
The Colosseum in Rome, opened in AD 80, is the most famous amphitheatre in the world and held tens of thousands of people.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Only one of these words is spelt correctly. Choose its meaning:
1. orkestra 2. auditoreum 3. amfibian 4. amphitheatre
a) the part of a hall where the audience sits
b) a large group of musicians who play together
c) an animal that lives on land and in water
d) an open-air building with rows of seats around a central space
Show answer
d) an open-air building with rows of seats around a central space. Amphitheatre is correct; amphibian and orchestra need ph and ch, and auditorium ends in ium.
Word Cookie
Fill in the missing letters to complete the word:
am_hithe_tre
a) p, e
b) b, a
c) f, a
d) p, a
Show answer
d) p, a. The f sound is written ph, and theatre keeps its ea.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word amphitheatre as used in the sentence:
Thousands gathered in the amphitheatre to watch the gladiators fight.
a) arena
b) library
c) palace
d) temple
Show answer
a) arena. An arena is a large open space ringed with seats, very close to an amphitheatre.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. What makes an amphitheatre different from an ordinary hall?
a) it is underground
b) it is open to the sky
c) it has no seats
d) it has only one row
Show answer
b) it is open to the sky
2. What does the Greek part amphi mean?
a) very old
b) made of stone
c) on both sides
d) under water
Show answer
c) on both sides
