all the world's a stage
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
People have roles to play in life just as actors do in the theatre.
Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt
Mọi người có vai trò để chơi trong cuộc sống giống như diễn viên trong nhà hát
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
But ſtill, perhaps, 'tis ſomewhat new you'll ſay, / For School-Boys to attempt to act a Play. / Why ſhould the Attempt ſurprize! it ſuits our Age, / And more you know, that all the World's a Stage. / Of general Uſe indeed muſt ſeem this Art, / Since every Man was born to act his Part.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “all the world's a stage” mean?
People have roles to play in life just as actors do in the theatre.
Is “all the world's a stage” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.