Onstage

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. Positioned on the area where live performances occur in a theater
2. Situated in the part of a theater designated for actors and performers during a show
3. Being physically present in the performance space visible to the audience in a theater

Etymology: "Onstage" is about as plain as compounds get: it is simply "on" joined to "stage," with the two words fused into one adverb. "Stage" itself came into English from Old French "estage," meaning a story or level of a building, and that sense of a raised level is what lies behind the theatrical meaning, since a stage is a raised platform above the audience. "On" supplies the locative sense of being upon that platform. The combination works the way "onboard" or "ashore" do, using "on" to mark position rather than movement. The word therefore describes where someone is located, namely on the performing area, rather than what they are doing. An actor who steps out of the wings is said to walk onstage, while one already standing in the spotlight is simply onstage.

Synonyms: performing, in view

Antonyms: offstage