Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Situated or taking place in the area of a stage that is visible to the audience.
  • adverb In or into the area of a stage that is visible to the audience.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective taking place in the part of a stage that is visible to the audience
  • adverb towards, or onto the visible part of a stage

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adverb on the stage
  • adjective situated or taking place on the area of a stage visible to the audience

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

on +‎ stage

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word onstage.

Examples

  • I got there just as they were calling my name onstage, and I motioned for Kimmy to come with me.

    Are You There, Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea Chelsea Handler 2008

  • The "ordinary woman who was called onstage at an extraordinary time," as she wrote of herself, Betty Ford was last in the spotlight after her husband of 58 years died Dec. 26, 2006, also at 93.

    Betty Ford: A beacon for women, addicts 2011

  • But give the poor musicians at least a few minutes to get settled in onstage before you shatter their illusion that you might be here for more than just the one three-minute song.

    Barnstorming on an Invisible Segway mrissa 2009

  • But to answer the first part of your question, I think the difference between what an actor does onscreen versus onstage is elided in a space as small as the Signature's.

    Patricia Zohn: Off the C(H)uff: Zoe Kazan, an Angel in America Patricia Zohn 2010

  • The "ordinary woman who was called onstage at an extraordinary time," as she wrote of herself, was last in the spotlight after her husband of 58 years, Gerald Ford, died Dec. 26, 2006, also at the age of 93.

    Former first lady Betty Ford dead at 93 2011

  • But to answer the first part of your question, I think the difference between what an actor does onscreen versus onstage is elided in a space as small as the Signature's.

    Patricia Zohn: Off the C(H)uff: Zoe Kazan, an Angel in America Patricia Zohn 2010

  • But to answer the first part of your question, I think the difference between what an actor does onscreen versus onstage is elided in a space as small as the Signature's.

    Patricia Zohn: Off the C(H)uff: Zoe Kazan, an Angel in America Patricia Zohn 2010

  • The "ordinary woman who was called onstage at an extraordinary time," as she wrote of herself, Betty Ford was last in the spotlight after her husband of 58 years died Dec. 26, 2006, also at 93.

    Betty Ford: A beacon for women, addicts 2011

  • The "ordinary woman who was called onstage at an extraordinary time," as she wrote of herself, was last in the spotlight after her husband of 58 years, Gerald Ford, died Dec. 26, 2006, also at the age of 93.

    Former first lady Betty Ford dead at 93 2011

  • My job onstage is to be as open as possible, to weave the show without a script as it comes, and this leaves me very emotionally available -- and vulnerable, if an audience chooses to abuse that trust.

    Archive 2007-04-01 2007

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.