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stage left

American

noun

Theater.

the part of the stage that is left of center as one faces the audience.

stage left British

noun

the part of the stage to the left of a performer facing the audience

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of stage left

First recorded in 1930–35

Compare meaning

How does stage-left compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

stage right vs. stage left

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.

See Examples For:

stage left

But she may be a better reactive comedian than she is a performer alone on stage, left entirely to her own devices.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 11, 2025

The one negative to the performance I caught is that his work on the Hammond B3 was completely inaudible in the mix from your critic’s location, stage left and halfway up the seating bowl.

From Salon ● Aug. 19, 2025

The execution on stage left me in awe, willing to believe pretty much anything.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2024

Walz will stand behind the podium on stage left - the right side on the screen.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2024

Petra waved to the crowd and exited stage left.

From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023