What does "backstage" mean?

The area behind a stage out of view of the audience where performers wait to give their show; especially that of the dressing rooms.

What is a synonym for "backstage"?

Common synonyms include: acting area, apron, apron stage, background, band shell, bandstand.

How do you pronounce "backstage"?

Pronounced //bækˈsteɪd͡ʒ//.

Backstage

//bækˈsteɪd͡ʒ// adj, adv, noun

adj, adv, noun ·Moderate ·College level

Definitions

Noun

1
The area behind a stage out of view of the audience where performers wait to give their show; especially that of the dressing rooms.
2
a stage area out of sight of the audience wordnet
3
The private portion of the space used by a business or enterprise.
"Another broad issue regarding the physical setting involves decisions about the setting's frontstage and backstage."

Adjective

1
Relating to, or situated in the area behind a stage. not-comparable
2
Secret, concealed from the public. not-comparable

Adjective

1
concealed from public view or attention wordnet

Adverb

1
Towards the area behind the stage.
2
Out of view of the public.
"Backstage I'm lonely, backstage I cry / You've gone away and each night I seem to die a little"

Adverb

1
in or to a backstage area of a theater wordnet
2
out of view of the public; behind the scenes wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms

acting area apron apron stage background band shell bandstand

Example

More examples

"I had imagined that the newbies fresh from university would probably be stuck with all the backstage work - collecting reference material, getting copies and such but I couldn't have been proved more wrong."

Etymology

From back + stage.

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.