aside

adverb \ ə-ˈsīd \

|Updated on: 11 Jun 2018

Examples: aside in a Sentence

Definition of aside

1 : to or toward the side

stepped aside

2 : away from others or into privacy

pulled him aside

3 : out of the way especially for future use : away

putting aside savings

4 : away from one's thought or consideration

All kidding aside, we really need to get busy.

See aside defined for English-language learners

See aside defined for kids

Examples of aside in a Sentence

He stepped aside and let her pass.
He threw his coat aside.
She laid the book aside.
He elbowed people aside as he moved through the crowd.
He took her aside to speak to her privately.
Someone grabbed him and pulled him aside.

Recent Examples of aside from the Web

The depth chart shows that Jay Ajayi, Corey Clement and Darren Sproles figure to be ahead of him, health issues aside.

— bob ford, Philly.com, "Matt Jones is running for his football life with Eagles | Bob Ford," 7 June 2018
Sherri Garrett, a $42,000-a-year account technician for the House, told a news conference in Chicago that Timothy Mapes brushed aside her complaints of lawmakers’ harassment of her and other women on at least two occasions.

— Washington Post, "Illinois House speaker aide quits after harassment complaint," 7 June 2018
Instagram gold aside, the camp blanket has its purposes.

— graham averill, Outside Online, "Five Camp Blankets That Look as Good as They Feel," 6 June 2018
The police took the boy aside to bring him to his mother.

— michael kiefer, azcentral, "Scottsdale police report details origin of divorce that apparently led to murders," 6 June 2018
Ingredients aside, one of the benefits of using natural products is that most, if not all, ingredients are ethically-sourced and cruelty-free.

— tynan sinks, Allure, "The Best Natural and Organic Makeup Brands That Makeup Artists Actually Use," 6 June 2018
Leaving aside the question of whether Maryland’s U.S. senators and representatives should be doing more, the assertion that the state’s delegation is unusually powerful is years out of date.

— michael dresser, baltimoresun.com, "To err is political: fact-checking the debates of Democratic candidates for Maryland governor," 6 June 2018
Julion Michelin said his family sets aside discussions about running during special occasions.

— steve sadin, chicagotribune.com, "Evanston's Michelin family celebrates a third generation of Wildkits runners," 6 June 2018
But Kit Kat crime aside, @EvanWilt_ is a keeper https://t.co/VsZXuc4uDy — Haley Byrd (@byrdinator) June 1, 2018 Loaded: 0% Progress: 0% 0:00 / 2:44 Watch: Food fight in Philly convenience store!

— lisa gutierrez, kansascity, "'Dump him.' People can't get over the way this woman's boyfriend eats a Kit Kat bar," 5 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'aside.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of aside

see ¹side

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

aside

noun

Definition of aside

1 : an utterance not meant to be heard by someone; especially : an actor's speech heard by the audience but supposedly not by other characters

2 : a comment or discussion that does not relate directly to the main subject being discussed : digression

He frequently interrupted his narrative with amusing asides.

See aside defined for English-language learners

Examples of aside in a Sentence

She made a joke about the food in a muttered aside to her husband.
The book includes several lengthy asides about the personal lives of scientists involved in the project.
In his speech he mentioned her contributions almost as an aside, despite the fact that she was the one who came up with the idea originally.

Recent Examples of aside from the Web

Armstrong’s writing has elegant bite, torrents of blustery speech peppered with oddball asides that have an Iannuccian ring.

— richard lawson, HWD, "HBO’s Rich-Family-in-Peril Drama Succession Has a Troubling Allure," 1 June 2018
As good as Drake and Josh are at putting the drama aside for the sake of brotherhood, the same can't be said for Drake's competitors on The Challenge: Champs vs. Stars.

— noelle devoe, Seventeen, "Drake Bell Reveals Exactly Why Josh Peck Didn't Invite Him to His Wedding," 7 May 2018
There are also some interesting asides about Glenn McCarthy and King’s Ranch, the prototypes for the Benedict family and its ranch, Reata.

— gary m. kramer, Philly.com, "'Giant': A giant book about a giant film," 4 May 2018
The woman had set cash aside for food and Christmas presents for her four children.

— richard byrd, The Seattle Times, "Theft suspect returns most of stolen money to Moses Lake woman," 3 Jan. 2018
What seemed to be a jarring aside was actually part of Trump’s decision to reimpose U.S. sanctions against Iran.

— brian bennett, Time, "How Talks with North Korea Convinced Trump to Scrap the Iran Deal," 8 May 2018
Be sure to set a few of the largest aside for replanting!

— jean nick, Good Housekeeping, "How To Grow Your Own Turmeric Indoors (It's Easier Than You Think)," 3 Feb. 2017
But with his one-liners and cutting asides about the president, Mr. Comey only appeared to play into the hands of allies of Mr. Trump, who are eager to paint the former F.B.I. director as just another figure working for the president’s defeat.

— julie hirschfeld davis and jonathan martin, New York Times, "James Comey’s Attacks on Trump May Hurt a Carefully Cultivated Image," 16 Apr. 2018
Young: Off the court drama aside, maybe the season the team went through another transition at the point guard position.

— jim lefko, San Antonio Express-News, "Writers’ roundtable: Express-News sportswriters look ahead and back at Spurs," 20 Apr. 2018

Origin and Etymology of aside

see ¹side

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1751

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

aside Synonyms

Synonyms

digression, excursion, tangent;

aside

preposition

Definition of aside

obsolete

: beyond, past

Origin and Etymology of aside

see ¹side

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1592

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

ASIDE Defined for English Language Learners

aside

adverb

Definition of aside for English Language Learners

: to or toward the side
—used with put or set to describe something that is being kept or saved for a future use
—used to say that something is not included in a statement that follows

aside

noun

Definition of aside for English Language Learners

: a comment spoken by a character in a play that is heard by the audience but is supposedly not heard by other characters on stage
: a comment that is spoken quietly to someone so that it cannot be heard by other people who are present
: a comment or discussion that does not relate directly to the main subject being discussed