Meaning & use
Roman Colosseum
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Meanings
proper nounproper
A large ancient Roman amphitheater in Rome, famous for its arches and for hosting public spectacles.
Grammar: Used as a name, so it normally takes no article: 'We visited the Roman Colosseum.'
Patterns
- visit the Roman Colosseum
- the Roman Colosseum in Rome
The Roman Colosseum is one of the most visited monuments in Italy.
Thousands of tourists take photos outside the Roman Colosseum every day.
The Roman Colosseum could hold tens of thousands of spectators in ancient times.
nouncountable
A modern sports stadium or entertainment venue that is very large and often oval-shaped.
Grammar: Used for modern buildings too, often with a capital letter as part of a name: 'the Los Angeles Coliseum'.
Patterns
- a colosseum of something
- play at the Colosseum
The new colosseum will host concerts and football matches.
Fans filled the colosseum to watch the final.
Common combinations
- visit the Roman Colosseum
- We plan to visit the Roman Colosseum on our trip to Rome.
- the Roman Colosseum in Rome
- The Roman Colosseum in Rome is older than most buildings in the city.
- the ruins of the Colosseum
- The ruins of the Colosseum attract millions of visitors.
- a tour of the Colosseum
- She booked a guided tour of the Colosseum.
Synonyms and how they differ
- amphitheater
- A general word for any round or oval building used for shows; the Roman Colosseum is one famous example.
- arena
- Often means the central fighting or performance area, not the whole building.
Commonly confused: Roman Colosseum or Coliseum? Roman Colosseum or Colosseum?
Roman Colosseum vs Coliseum
A common variant spelling, especially in American English. Both spellings are accepted, but 'Colosseum' is more usual for the ancient Roman building.
Roman Colosseum vs Colosseum
Sometimes confused with 'coliseum', which is the same building under a different spelling.
Practice
Which sentence uses the name correctly?
Choose one answer.
As a proper name, it takes 'the' and no article before 'Roman': 'the Roman Colosseum'. Option 1 uses 'a', which suggests one of many. Option 2 omits 'the'. Option 3 adds a possessive, which is wrong here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Roman Colosseum”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.