Stage Meaning
/steɪd͡ʒ/Definition, CEFR level A2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounA phase.
nounOne 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.
Sentence Examples
Cutting school is the first stage of delinquency.
When our class performed a play, I took charge of stage effects.
I can't make a decision at this stage.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The project is in its final ____ and will be completed soon.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The actors walked onto the ____ and the audience immediately became silent as the play began.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English stage, from Old French estage (“dwelling, residence; position, situation, condition”), from Old French ester (“to be standing, be located”). Cognate with Old English stæþþan (“to make staid, stay”), Old Norse steðja (“to place, provide, confirm, allow”), Old English stede (“state, status, standing, place, station, site”). More at stead. Doublet of étage.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Such a polity is suited only to a particular stage in the progress of society."
— 1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter I, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume (please specify |volume=I to V), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC:
""They're bikini briefs", Nicole said. "That just means sexy underwear."
"I though naked was sexy."
"Well, it is. But sexy comes in stages"."
— 1986, Daniel Woodrell, Under the Bright Lights, page 66:
"The Russians had promised to withdraw in three stages. One stage had been completed, and the railway between Shan-hai-kwan and Ying-k’ou (Newchang) had been returned, but all this meant was that the Russians had moved their troops from Liao-hsi, a region where they had few interests, to their major base at Liaotung."
— 2002, Donald Keene, Emperor of Japan: Meiji and His World, 1852-1912, New York: Columbia University Press, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 588:
"Seeing the British establishment struggle with the financial sector is like watching an alcoholic […]. Until 2008 there was denial over what finance had become. […] But the scandals kept coming, and so we entered stage three – what therapists call "bargaining". A broad section of the political class now recognises the need for change but remains unable to see the necessity of a fundamental overhaul. Instead it offers fixes and patches."
— 2013 June 28, Joris Luyendijk, “Our banks are out of control”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 3, page 21:
"Knights, squires, and steeds must enter on the stage."
— 1711 May, [Alexander Pope], An Essay on Criticism, London: […] W[illiam] Lewis […]; and sold by W[illiam] Taylor […], T[homas] Osborn[e] […], and J[ohn] Graves […], →OCLC:
Explore More A2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The project is in its final ____ and will be completed soon.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The actors walked onto the ____ and the audience immediately became silent as the play began.