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

“Thankfully, I had been observing and watching everything. But I was reading the script off-stage and then someone would push me onstage and say, ‘I’ll meet you stage left, wing one.’

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 22, 2026

“These will be big shoes to fill and the timing of Cook exiting stage left as CEO could make sense but also creates questions.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 21, 2026

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

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2024

He exited stage left to go congratulate the winner.

From Seattle Times ● May 20, 2024

“Not so loud, honey,” Wanda said, and she directed the group into the wings on stage left.

From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro

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