An amphitheatre (British English) or amphitheater (American English; both ) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ἀμφιθέατρον (amphitheatron),<ref>ἀμφιθέατρον, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, '56'An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon, on Peseus</ref> from ἀμφί (amphi), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and θέατρον (théātron), meaning "place for viewing". Ancient Roman amphitheatres were oval or circular in plan, with seating tiers that surrounded the central performance area, like a modern open-air stadium. In contrast, both ancient Greek and ancient Roman theatres were built in a semicircle, with tiered seating rising on one side of the performance area. Modern parlance uses "amphitheatre" for any structure with sloping seating, including theatre-style stages with spectator seating
El término deriva del antiguo griego ἀμφιθέατρον (amphitheatron), ἀμφιθέατρον, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, '56'An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon, en Peseus</ref> de ἀμφί (amphi), que significa "en ambos lados" o "alrededor" y θέατρον (thétron), que significa "lugar para ver". Los antiguos anfiteatros romanos eran ovales o circulares en el plano, con plazas de asiento que rodeaban la zona central de la actuación, como un estadio al aire libre moderno. En contraste, tanto los antiguos griegos como los antiguos romanos las atrias se construyeron en un semicírculo, con plazas de asiento que subían en un lado de la superficie de la actuación.