offstage

Offstage describes something that happens in the area of a theater stage that the audience can't see. An actor who's getting ready for his cue to stride onstage and say, "To be or not to be!" stands offstage.

Offstage is a handy adverb when you're talking about a play. Things that happen offstage might not be visible to the audience, but they're vital to the show: costumers sew on missing buttons offstage, stagehands move parts of the set offstage during scene changes, and actors practice their lines offstage. Offstage works as an adjective or noun as well. You can use it figuratively too, for anything that goes on out of public sight.

Definitions of offstage

1. adjective

   situated or taking place in the area of a stage not visible to the audience
   “offstage noises”

   antonyms:

   onstage

   situated or taking place on the area of a stage visible to the audience
2. adverb

   behind the scenes; not on stage
   “the actors were waiting offstage”

   antonyms:

   onstage

   on the stage
3. noun

   a stage area out of sight of the audience
   synonyms: backstage, wing

   type of:

   stage

   a large platform on which people can stand and can be seen by an audience
4. adjective

   concealed from public view or attention
   “offstage political meetings”

   synonyms: backstage

   private

   confined to particular persons or groups or providing privacy
5. adverb

   not in public
   “the deal was done offstage”