onstage

American  

[on-stayj, awn-] / ˈɒnˈsteɪdʒ, ˈɔn- /

adverb

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

   The director shouted, “Onstage, everybody!”

---

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

“We are planning to bring our biggest and most premium SUVs, and produce them here in Macon,” Audi Chief Executive Gernot Döllner said, joining Trump onstage.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 25, 2026

He’s someone who arrived onstage, talented beyond his years.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2026

The routine is the same: Mr. Trump walks onstage to “God Bless the U.S.A.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026

Of the memorable onstage moments in my career as a panel moderator, John Turturro successfully picking my pocket in front of a live audience might take the cake.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026

This might be worse than when I had to go onstage and accept my moonstone badge.

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

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---