Phrase guide

stage direction

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

An instruction given to an actor that tells the actor what should be done and in what manner to do it.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The stage direction given in the script said to walk forward and speak the line loudly.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

an instruction written as part of the script of a play

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: direction, instruction

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

20 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: didascàlia — instruction given to an actor
  • Chinese Mandarin: 舞臺指示 /舞台指示 (wǔtái zhǐshì) — instruction given to an actor
  • Finnish: näyttämöohje — instruction given to an actor
  • Finnish: parenteesi — instruction given to an actor
  • French: didascalie — instruction given to an actor
  • French: indication scénique — instruction given to an actor
  • German: Regieanweisung — instruction given to an actor
  • German: Bühnenanweisung — instruction given to an actor
  • Italian: didascalia — instruction given to an actor
  • Japanese: 舞台指示 (butai shiji) — instruction given to an actor
  • Korean: 무대 지시 (mudae jisi) — instruction given to an actor
  • Polish: didaskalia — instruction given to an actor
  • Portuguese: didascália — instruction given to an actor
  • Portuguese: rubrica — instruction given to an actor
  • Romanian: didascalie — instruction given to an actor
  • Romanian: direcție de scenă — instruction given to an actor
  • Russian: режиссу́ра (režissúra) — instruction given to an actor
  • Russian: рема́рка (remárka) — instruction given to an actor
  • Spanish: didascalia — instruction given to an actor
  • Spanish: acotación — instruction given to an actor