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

“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

Guitarist George Vjestica is on the bottom level, stage right, while the incomparable Warren Ellis holds down stage left.

From Salon ● May 13, 2025

McIlroy, initially a vocal critic of the new circuit, called for the two-time Open Champion to "exit stage left" in 2022 and let the "adults" heal the wounds in the sport.

From BBC ● Jan. 16, 2025

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

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 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