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 invisible to the audience.
- adjective Of, relating to, or taking place in private life.
- adverb Away from the area of a stage visible to the audience.
- adverb In private life.
- adverb Behind the scenes; not visible to the public.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective Of, or relating to that part of a
stage notvisible to theaudience - adjective of a celebrity Of, or relating to
private life - adverb Taking place offstage (as above)
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adjective situated or taking place in the area of a stage not visible to the audience
- adverb behind the scenes; not on stage
- adjective concealed from public view or attention
- noun a stage area out of sight of the audience
- adverb not in public
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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That’s what bothered me, really: the commenters seem to feel that bullying someone offstage is “speech” and not “force”, simply because they were shouting at the time.
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He's a great guy & would quite likely welcome having the support of an 'offstage' connection with you, his translator, before his public appearance.
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The other attempts too place "offstage", but because of the problems within the Alliance, the plans didn't go as smoothly as they should have - hence the lack of success.
Q & A Nalini Singh 2009
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He's a great guy & would quite likely welcome having the support of an 'offstage' connection with you, his translator, before his public appearance.
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A narrow cell at stage right served as a separate playing area so that even "offstage" characters remained in view; the whole design cleverly constricted the Met's big stage, creating intimacy and intimidation at the same time.
A Family Cursed, 2007
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Description: David Tennant's "offstage" slippers which the former Dr Who star padded about in backstage while playing
Telegraph.co.uk - Telegraph online, Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph 2011
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Highlights included McKay throwing a large pumpkin offstage which is
USC IMD: idallas 2008
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When we learn of this "offstage" plot, we can think only less of him and less of Emma for the self-deluded conceit that lets him use her to taunt Jane: "Very luckymarrying as they did, upon an acquaintance formed only in a public place!" he gossips of the newlywed Eltons in terms that he knows Jane must take to heart; "They only knew each other, I think, a few weeks in Bath!
Boxing Emma; or the Readers Dilemma at the Box Hill Games 2000
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So do Mr. O'Farrill's offstage endeavors; through his nonprofit Afro Latin Jazz Alliance, he has established year-round education programs in New York schools and a youth orchestra based in Greenwich Village's Fat Cat club.
Second-Generation Genius Larry Blumenfeld 2012
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Rather like tyrannical dictators, who don't expect to die quietly in their beds, one somehow never expected Jack Warner's professional death to happen offstage in press releases and leaked reports.
Adieu Jack Warner, but beware the next generation of Fifa supervillains | Marina Hyde 2011
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