proscenium

noun

pro·​sce·​ni·​um prō-ˈsē-nē-əm 

1

a

: the stage of an ancient Greek or Roman theater

b

: the part of a modern stage in front of the curtain

c

: the wall that separates the stage from the auditorium and provides the arch that frames it

2

a

: foreground sense 1

b

: foreground sense 2

Examples of proscenium in a Sentence

The host walked onto the proscenium.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Powerhouse will now seat 671 people in a proscenium configuration, with an arch that frames the stage, or 568 in a thrust configuration, which brings part of the stage out into the audience seating area. —Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 6 Oct. 2025

His earliest childhood memory dates to the early 1970s, being a little boy sitting in the balcony of a London theater staging the beloved musical creation of his father, Richard O’Brien, and working the lights around the proscenium. —Brian Truitt, USA Today, 24 Sep. 2025

The venue houses a traditional proscenium-style theater and a flexible studio theater, and both are designed to accommodate the performance needs of other Liberty Station arts companies when scheduled. —Michelle Guerrero, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025

Seeing the works in person, one is struck by the elaborate Art Nouveau–style frames that form substantial prosceniums for these diaphanous tableaux. —Elizabeth Mangini, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from Greek proskēnion front of the building forming the background for a dramatic performance, stage, from pro- + skēnē building forming the background for a dramatic performance — more at scene

First Known Use

1606, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing proscenium

• proscenium arch

Rhymes for proscenium

• asplenium
• delphinium
• perineum
• ruthenium
• selenium
• vaccinium
• rhenium

Kids Definition

proscenium

noun

pro·​sce·​ni·​um prō-ˈsē-nē-əm 

1

: the part of a stage in front of the curtain

2

: the wall containing the arch that frames the stage