stage

/steɪdʒ/ noun

Definition

› [C] one of a series of periods of development in a process: Flotation is a key stage in the group's development plans. From an early stage financial regulators blamed a lack of internal controls for the bank's failure. At this stage, there is no proposal to change the existing management structure of the group. Negotiations with the union have reached a critical stage. first/final/next stage

› [S] a particular area of public life where important events happen: global/international/world stage His speech at the party conference propelled him onto the international stage.

in stages › if you do something in stages, you divide the activity into parts and complete each part separately: The proposed budget cuts would be made in stages over the next five years.

→ See also early-stage, late-stage

(Definition of stage noun from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)