offstage
Americanadverb
adjective
-
not in view of the audience; backstage, in the wings, etc..
an offstage crash.
-
withheld from public view or attention; private.
offstage political meetings.
adjective
Etymology
Origin of offstage
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.
Vocabulary lists containing offstage
Reading: Literature - Drama - Introductory
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Theater - Introductory
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Reading: Literature - Drama - Middle School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The vast majority of awards were doled out offstage during an evening far better known for its performances and stage antics than its prizes.
From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026
Jonathan Burton was a clarion Malcolm, Duncan’s eldest son and heir; soprano Jazmine Saunders had an eerie, offstage cameo as the apparition of the Bloody Child.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
But she walked offstage to a new jingle that went, “At my Tennessean Truck Stop, everyone belongs.”
From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026
Add Sammy into that mix, all the fun I’ve had with Sammy onstage, offstage, in Cabo at his birthday parties?
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026
There are other teams huddled offstage, on the floor.
From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
