offstage

[awf-steyj, of-]

adverb

1. off the stage or in the wings; away from the view of the audience (onstage ).

2. in one's private life rather than on the stage.

   Offstage the actress seemed rather plain.

adjective

1. not in view of the audience; backstage, in the wings, etc..

   an offstage crash.

2. withheld from public view or attention; private.

   offstage political meetings.

offstage

/ ˈɒfˈsteɪdʒ /

adjective

1. out of the view of the audience; off the stage

Word History and Origins

Origin of offstage¹

First recorded in 1920–25; off + stage

Example Sentences

“Tim himself was actually a kind of quiet intellectual offstage, but onstage he really knew how to let it rip.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Presley and Parker grew distant, as Presley insulated himself with sycophants and his behavior both on and offstage grew increasingly erratic.

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Be careful though because, according to the promotional material, "the drama is just as intense offstage as it is under the spotlight".

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Others are quietly shuffled offstage, clinging to their aspic molds and doily-lined plates.

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The scene is a foreshadow, and signals that the novel will compress time, dwelling on certain details or events, while allotting mere lines to other pivotal moments, or allowing them to occur offstage, in passing.

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Related Words

• unauthorized