onstage

American  

[on-steyj, awn-] / ˈɒnˈsteɪdʒ, ˈɔn- /

adverb

1. on or onto the stage (offstage ).

   The director shouted, “Onstage, everybody!”

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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

The Glaswegian has for several years had a sign language interpreter onstage at his shows.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

Acting onstage is currently a tenuous subject for McKellen.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

Mr. Page and Ms. Faridany outshine most of their younger peers onstage in their fluent and lucid treatment of Shakespeare’s verse.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

But even where it did get mentioned onstage, the deck was stacked against a fulsome geopolitical debate.

From Slate • Mar. 27, 2026

“Children, I must go. See you onstage, my dears!”

From "The Bad Beginning" by Lemony Snicket