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

The director, recently freed from a malfunctioning elevator in a pithily Andersonian incident, made a brief appearance onstage with Murray in his regal white suit.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2026

The second section, "All the Somebody People" focuses on the musician onstage and in the studio across four defining eras; Ziggy Stardust, the Berlin years, Let's Dance, and Blackstar.

From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026

You continue to wander, and hear a cheerful female voice emanating from the enormous onstage speakers to inform everyone that water is available for purchase at any of the bar tents for just $4.

From Slate ● Jun. 16, 2026

As mentioned, Mr. Eberhardt is so captivating as the jovial, word-drunk Mercutio that he draws our attention whenever he’s onstage.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026

The dialogue spoken onstage no longer sounded like words but like the last ticks of a dying clock winding down.

From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson