offstage

American  

[awf-steyj, of-] / ˈɔfˈsteɪdʒ, ˈɒf- /

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 British  

/ ˈɒfˈsteɪdʒ /

adjective

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

---

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

Then, he satirizes conservatives’ discomfort with his Blackness by sitting silently as Martin Short, playing a nervous young Republican delivering a hackneyed diatribe, shudders in his presence before scampering offstage to fall apart.

From Salon • Feb. 22, 2026

Tsuruko, the eldest, stays largely offstage but exerts a crucial, conservative influence on family affairs.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026

Yeah, the crowd loves it, but I go offstage and I’m not looking for the comments saying, “It was so funny.”

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 22, 2025

The final scene is a reprise of the beginning, showing Springsteen coming offstage after a show and expressing to his manager that it’s good to be back.

From Salon • Oct. 28, 2025

Owen checked his phone when they were all the way offstage.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz

Related Words

• unauthorized