offstage

American  

[awf-steyj, of-] / ˈɔfˈsteɪdʒ, ˈɒf- /

adverb

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

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

   Offstage the actress seemed rather plain.

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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 British  

/ ˈɒfˈsteɪdʒ /

adjective

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

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Etymology

Origin of offstage

First recorded in 1920–25; off + stage

Explanation

Offstage describes something that happens in the area of a theater stage that the audience can't see. An actor who's getting ready for his cue to stride onstage and say, "To be or not to be!" stands offstage. Offstage is a handy adverb when you're talking about a play. Things that happen offstage might not be visible to the audience, but they're vital to the show: costumers sew on missing buttons offstage, stagehands move parts of the set offstage during scene changes, and actors practice their lines offstage. Offstage works as an adjective or noun as well. You can use it figuratively too, for anything that goes on out of public sight.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

offstage

But she walked offstage to a new jingle that went, “At my Tennessean Truck Stop, everyone belongs.”

From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026

When most of the characters are shuffled offstage, for instance, Quincy unsurprisingly makes a move on Walter—most unfeminist behavior!—that is, also unsurprisingly, witnessed by Lyssa.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

She reprised the show on Broadway two decades later, but for the latest iteration, presented by Lincoln Center Theater off-Broadway, Ms. Goldberg is staying offstage.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

That ethos of care extended beyond their interactions with the audience and into the way they interacted with one another offstage.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2026

I watched the rest of the play from the wings just offstage, next to Davenport.

From "Wonder" by R. J. Palacio

Related Words

• unauthorized