What does "colosseum" mean?

Alternative spelling of coliseum.

Colosseum

Common synonyms include: agora, amphitheater, amphitheatrum flavium, arena, athletic field, auditorium.

name, noun

name, noun ·4 syllables ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Noun

1
Alternative spelling of coliseum. alt-of, alternative
"This design was also adopted for their amphitheatres, such as the colossea of Rome and Capua, the plan of which resembles the cavea of two theatres set together so as to enclose an oval space."

Proper Noun

1
The largest stadium in the Roman empire, located near the center of Rome.
"The Colosseum (known at the time as the Flavian Amphitheater) in Rome was the empire's greatest amphitheater. A marvel of Roman engineering, the Colosseum could hold up to 70,000 spectators."

"As long the Colosseum stands, Rome will stand; when the Colosseum falls, Rome and the world will fall."

Etymology 1

From Latin Colosseum, from neuter of colosseus (“gigantic”), from Ancient Greek κολοσσιαῖος (kolossiaîos), from κολοσσός (kolossós, “giant statue”).

Etymology 2

From Late Latin, from Latin colosseus (“colossal”); a mediaeval term for the classical Latin Amphitheatrum Flavium; see also coliseum.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.