onstage

American  

[on-steyj, awn-] / ˈɒnˈsteɪdʒ, ˈɔn- /

adverb

1. on or onto the stage (opposed to offstage).

   The director shouted, “Onstage, everybody!”

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or used in the acting area, or that part of the stage that is in view of the audience.

Etymology

Origin of onstage

First recorded in 1925–30; on + stage

Explanation

When you do something onstage, you do it in front of an audience. Onstage tap dancing can be exhilarating to watch if the dancers are good, or embarrassing if they're not. An onstage mistake, like a forgotten line or a dropped prop, can sometimes be concealed by quick-thinking actors. Your role in the school play might turn out not to have any lines at all, but to involve your character lurking around onstage looking mysterious. The opposite of onstage is offstage, meaning things that occur where the audience can't see them.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

onstage

One of the record’s highlights is a co-write with the musician who stood to Kaye’s right onstage for more than 50 years.

From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2026

Though Gillian — the biggest working “Phantom” chandelier in the world — only travels vertically and doesn’t start onstage, the production team makes sure it’s still a spectacle.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026

Leading the orchestra from the violin, Elisa Citterio maintained a speedy pace that did not always coordinate with what was happening onstage.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

Trump accompanied Infantino onstage to present the trophy to Chelsea — but did not accompany him off the stage immediately following the presentation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

A short brunette girl named Aspen Matthews is the first to be called onstage to shake hands with the Chief Director, who hands her a smooth wooden box containing her badge.

From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston