stage

American  

[stayj] / steɪdʒ /

noun

• stages
  plural

1. 

   a single step or degree in a process; a particular phase, period, position, etc., in a process, development, or series.

2. a raised platform or floor, as for speakers, performers, etc.

3. Theater.

   1. the platform on which the actors perform in a theater.

   2. this platform with all the parts of the theater and all the apparatus back of the proscenium.

4. the stage, the theater, especially acting, as a profession.

   He plans to make the stage his career.

5. Movies. sound stage.

6. the scene of any action.

   Synonyms:

   locale, setting, spot

7. a stagecoach.

8. a place of rest on a journey; a regular stopping place of a stagecoach or the like, for the change of horses, mules, etc.

9. the distance between two places of rest on a journey; each of the portions of a journey.

10. a portion or period of a course of action, of life, etc..

    the adolescent stage of human development.

11. Entomology.

    1. any one of the major time periods in the development of an insect, as the embryonic, larval, pupal, and imaginal stages.

    2. Also called stadium. any one of the periods of larval growth between molts.

12. Economics, Sociology. a major phase of the economic or sociological life of human beings or society.

    the patriarchal stage.

13. Geology. a division of stratified rocks corresponding to a single geologic age.

14. the small platform of a microscope on which the object to be examined is placed.

15. Radio. an element in a complex mechanism, as a tube and its accessory structures in a multiple amplifier.

16. Rocketry. a section of a rocket containing a rocket engine or cluster of rocket engines, usually separable from other such sections when its propellant is exhausted.

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verb (used with object)

• stages,
  present (3rd person singular)
• staged,
  past participle,  past
• staging
  present participle

1. to represent, produce, or exhibit on or as if on a stage.

   The drama class staged a play during Christmas vacation.

2. to furnish with a stage, staging, stage set, etc.

3. to write, direct, or produce (a play) with the action taking place as if in a specified locale or time.

   He staged the fantasy on Mars in the year 2500.

4. to plan, organize, or carry out (an activity), especially for dramatic or public effect.

   Workers staged a one-day strike.

5. to classify the natural progression of (a disease, especially cancer).

6. to prepare (a home) for sale in such a way as to appeal to potential buyers and generate a higher selling price.

   They were initially reluctant to hire someone to stage their apartment.

verb (used without object)

• stages,
  present (3rd person singular)
• staged,
  past participle,  past
• staging
  present participle

1. to be suitable for presentation or performance on the stage.

   The script didn't stage well.

2. to travel by stagecoach.

idioms

1. go on the stage, to become an actor, especially in the theater.

   She knew from the age of 12 that she would go on the stage.

2. by easy stages, working, traveling, etc., slowly, with frequent pauses; unhurriedly, with many stops; gradually.

3. on stage, performing, especially as an actor.

4. hold the stage,

   1. to continue to be produced, as a play or other theatrical production.

   2. to be the center of attention.

stage British  

/ steɪdʒ /

noun

1. a distinct step or period of development, growth, or progress

   a child at the toddling stage

2. a raised area or platform

3. the platform in a theatre where actors perform

4. the theatre as a profession

5. any scene regarded as a setting for an event or action

6. a portion of a journey or a stopping place after such a portion

7. short for stagecoach

8. a division of a bus route for which there is a fixed fare

9. one of the separate propulsion units of a rocket that can be jettisoned when it has burnt out See also multistage

10. any of the various distinct periods of growth or development in the life of an organism, esp an insect

    a larval stage

    pupal stage

11. the organism itself at such a period of growth

12. a small stratigraphical unit; a subdivision of a rock series or system

13. the platform on a microscope on which the specimen is mounted for examination

14. electronics a part of a complex circuit, esp one of a number of transistors with the associated elements required to amplify a signal in an amplifier

15. a university subject studied for one academic year

    Stage II French

16. not hurriedly

    he learned French by easy stages

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verb

1. (tr) to perform (a play), esp on a stage

   we are going to stage ``Hamlet''

2. (tr) to set the action of (a play) in a particular time or place

3. (tr) to plan, organize, and carry out (an event)

4. obsolete (intr) to travel by stagecoach

stage More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing stage

• at this stage
• set the scene (stage) for

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• stageability
  noun
• stageableness
  noun
• superstage
  noun
• understage
  noun
• restage
  verb (used with object)
• interstage
  adjective
• stageable
  adjective
• stageably
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• stages
  plural

Participles

• staging
  present
• staged
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• stage
  simple
• stages
  simple
• have staged
  perfect
• has staged
  perfect
• am staging
  progressive
• are staging
  progressive
• is staging
  progressive
• have been staging
  perfect progressive
• has been staging
  perfect progressive

Past

• staged
  simple
• had staged
  perfect
• was staging
  progressive
• were staging
  progressive
• had been staging
  perfect progressive

Future

• will stage
  simple
• will have staged
  perfect
• will be staging
  progressive
• will have been staging
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of stage

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English (noun) from Old French estage ( French étage ), from Vulgar Latin staticum (unattested) “standing place,” equivalent to stat(us) status + -icum, neuter of -icus -ic

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Explanation

A stage is a certain phase, like the toddler stage, when kids learn to walk and talk. Another kind of stage is a platform for a performance, although according to Shakespeare, “All the world's a stage.” There are stages of life, development, and grief — and stages of a rocket launch. Another kind of stage is the one that actors, singers, and puppet masters perform on. The profession of theater acting itself is in fact sometimes referred to as "the stage," and to put on a play is to stage it. A "stage whisper" is one between actors that's loud enough for the audience to hear, and a "stage name" is an actor's professional name.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

stage stages staged staging

During her Pyramid stage set, Dua, who earlier this year married could-be James Bond actor Callum Turner, also brought out Tame Impala frontman Kevin Parker.

From BBC ● Nov. 11, 2026

More recently, the community fractured over a proposal to seize farmland by eminent domain to satisfy affordable-housing mandates—a feud that inadvertently set the stage for the current cyber crisis.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 11, 2026

If Huang stays, the price is sharing the stage.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 11, 2026

“At this stage in my work, I’m interested in the deeper element of, you know: How did I get here? What makes me this way?”

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 11, 2026

Aunt Kitty came in a few minutes later with the stage makeup and a comb.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

Astronomers use it to study distant galaxies and investigate earlier stages of cosmic history.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 11, 2026

During the first two stages, Caltech researchers developed the construction concept, worked out the engineering design, and verified its operation in laboratory experiments on Earth.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 9, 2026

Boasting K-pop and Bangladeshi beatboxing, Eurovision stages its first Asia edition this Saturday, bringing the European song contest's unique brand of kitsch and geopolitics to the world's most populous region.

From Barron's ● Nov. 8, 2026

Laura said her birthing experience with her son Arthur in June 2018 was "traumatic but incredibly quick" after he became "very stressed" in the final stages.

From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026

The Street of Storytellers was filled with stages and theaters instead of an arms market where the only stories told now are of war and death.

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir

Stock indexes staged a late-afternoon rally but remained down on the day, with the S&P 500 falling 0.4% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite dropping 0.7%.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 10, 2026

When she carried the weight of the loss home with her, her boyfriend, Las Vegas Raiders defensive tackle Thomas Booker, staged an intervention.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026

Born to a British-Jamaican family in Croydon, south London, she has staged shows in offbeat venues such as alleys or climbing gyms, which could appeal to the younger clients Balenciaga hopes to attract.

From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026

By February 2009, with the global economy bottoming out in the wake of the financial crisis, beaten-down and low-rated cyclical stocks staged a massive rebound that left top-rated names behind.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 2, 2026

There was staged a great transformation in the world, and when ’twas done, nothing would be as it had been; and nor could I be.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson

After spending years forsaken in Americans’ refrigerators, cottage cheese is staging a comeback, and that is weighing on sales of cream cheese.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 7, 2026

Aston Vaughan estate agents said that physical staging can cost an average of £5,000 up to £50,000.

From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2026

Demand for tickets was so great that during the following season, promoters began staging double-headers at Madison Square Garden.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026

The hikers made it to Horse Camp, a popular staging area, but couldn’t find the trail and traveled down a steep, dry river canyon.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026

Someone he’d met years ago during one of his auditions was staging a production of A Raisin in Sun.

From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon

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