What does "sidebar" mean?
A short news story printed alongside a larger one.
Sidebar
noun, verb
noun, verb ·2 syllables ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A short news story printed alongside a larger one.
- Grammar: sidebar is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: aside, detour, digression, marginalia.
- Useful contrasts: central claim, central content, main text.
- Usage evidence: If you need more room on the screen, you can toggle the sidebar off.
How to use "sidebar"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "sidebar" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "sidebar" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "sidebar" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "sidebar" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "sidebar" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "aside" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "sidebar", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A short news story printed alongside a larger one.
- 2 a short news story presenting sidelights on a major story wordnet
- 3 A block of information placed at the side of a printed page.
"The tables in the sidebar can be used to determine “average” height and weight, and to provide a slight random variation if desired."
- 4 (law) a courtroom conference between the lawyers and the judge that is held out of the jury's hearing wordnet
- 5 A block of information placed at the side of a webpage. Internet
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 A short conference, between a judge and the attorneys of a case, held outside the hearing of the jury and the spectators at the court. US
- 7 The place in the courtroom where such a conference happens. US
- 8 An accessory side note or aside made during a conversation, without changing the scope of the audience.
"Well, when Charlotte had her mini-death, she went to Hell. Forest haunted her Hell loop and now is haunting her nightmares -- which, sidebar, Dan is also a part of, so things are heating up."
- 9 A short conversation between a smaller portion of a group held outside the hearing of the rest of the group.
"May we have a moment to discuss your proposition? Sidebar! Let's pick a topic. Sidebar!"
Verb
- 1 To place (information) into a sidebar, or as if into a sidebar. transitive
"Morgan "One of them was called Alexandria and then there was a place called the Kingdom. It actually had a king." Althea "A king?" Morgan "Even had a pet tiger." Althea "All right, we're gonna have to sidebar that one. These settlements, were they good places to live?""
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
central claimcentral contentmain textmain thesis
Example
"If you need more room on the screen, you can toggle the sidebar off."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "sidebar"?
Common synonyms include: aside, detour, digression, marginalia, most unnumbered section, side note.
How do you use "sidebar" in a sentence?
If you need more room on the screen, you can toggle the sidebar off.
Etymology
From side + bar.