Besides
adv, prep, slang ·Common ·High school level
Definitions
- 1 Also; in addition. conjunctive, not-comparable
"It is besides used as a food, either as a sallad^([sic]), raw, or boiled as greens."
- 2 Used to emphasize an additional point, especially an important or stronger reason; moreover; furthermore. conjunctive, not-comparable
"I don't feel like going out tonight. Besides, I have to work tomorrow morning anyway."
- 3 Otherwise; else. not-comparable
"I have been to Spain but nowhere besides."
- 4 On one side. not-comparable, obsolete
"You are so strongly in my purpose bred That all the world besides methinks are dead"
- 1 making an additional point; anyway wordnet
- 2 in addition wordnet
- 1 In addition to.
"During the whole time of his abode in the university he generally spent thirteen hours of the day in study; by which assiduity besides an exact dispatch of the whole course of philosophy, he read over in a manner all classic authors that are extant […]"
- 2 Other than; except for; instead of.
"I don't want to go anywhere besides India."
- 3 Beside, next to. informal
"1561, Geneva Bible, Acts 16:13, And on the Sabbath day, we went out of the citie, beſides a riuer, where they were wont to pray : and we ſate downe, and ſpake vnto the women, which were come together."
Example
More examples"Your remarks are besides the point."
Etymology
From Middle English bisides (also bisiden), extension of biside, equivalent to beside + -s (adverbial suffix).
Related phrases
More for "besides"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.