ENGLISH
REFERENCE

onstage

adv. place
B1 Intermediate US //ˌɑnˈsteɪdʒ// UK //ˈɒnsteɪdʒ// on·stage

adv. on or toward the stage in a theater. You use this when an actor or performer is in the area where the audience can see them.

adv. situated or occurring on the stage of a theater or similar performance space. Often functions as a locative modifier for performers or equipment.


SIMPLE

The actors are waiting to go onstage.

CONTEXTUAL

The lead singer walked onstage to a roar of applause from the crowded stadium.

COMPLEX

While the technical crew worked frantically behind the scenes, the comedian remained onstage, improvising jokes to keep the audience entertained during the power failure.

Antonyms
Origin

From on + stage.

Usage

Typically follows the verb or the object; can also be used as an adjective before a noun.

Pitfall

The actor went on the stage.The actor went onstage.While 'on the stage' is grammatically correct, 'onstage' is the more natural and common adverbial form for professional performance contexts.

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