stage
noun · verb
Simple meaning
a raised platform where shows or public events happen
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
stayjIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈsteɪdʒ
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
theater
A platform; a surface, generally elevated, upon which show performances or other public events are given.
theater
A platform, often floating, serving as a kind of wharf.
theater
A large platform on which people can stand and can be seen by an audience
“He clambered up onto the stage and got the actors to help him into the box.”
by extension
One of the portions of a device (such as a rocket or thermonuclear weapon) which are used or activated in a particular order, one after another.
theater
A small platform on a microscope where the specimen is mounted for examination
A floor elevated for the convenience of mechanical work, etc.; scaffolding; staging.
verb
transitive
To orchestrate; to carry out.
transitive
To place in position to prepare for use.
intransitivecanadaus
To work an internship, usually as a chef or waiter.
To demonstrate in a deceptive manner.
transitive
To produce on a stage, to perform a play.
Perform (a play), especially on a stage
“We are going to stage `Othello'”
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- A2 · Elementary
- Frequency
- Very Common
- Typical Use
- Everyday English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: A small platform on a microscope where the specimen is mounted for examination
Used this way, stage is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It stays understated rather than dramatic. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Mild
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
How It’s Used
The word’s distinct uses, one example each.
Largenoun
“He clambered up onto the stage and got the actors to help him into the box.”
Produce / performverb
“We are going to stage `Othello'”
More ways to use stage
- “An early movie simply showed a long kiss by two actors of the contemporary stage.”noun
- “He clambered up onto the stage and got the actors to help him into the box.”noun
- “We are in a transitional stage in which many former ideas must be revised or rejected.”noun
Share your sentence
Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Inflected forms
Grammatical variations of the same word.
The production of a drama on the stage.
Written for or performed on the stage.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
The part of the stage on the actor's left as the actor faces the audience.
Someone who supervises the physical aspects in the production of a show and who is in charge of the stage when the show is being performed.
The pseudonym of an actor.
The part of the stage on the actor's right as the actor faces the audience.
Representation consisting of the scenery and other properties used to identify the location of a dramatic production.
Arrangement of scenery and properties to represent the place where a play or movie is enacted.
Related Words
Connected to the same idea, not synonyms.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: to orchestrate
Use This Word
See how this word sounds in a real sentence.
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Use it yourself
Knowing “stage” starts when you use it. Pick a next step, all free.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.