beside

preposition be·side \ bi-ˈsīd , bē- \

|Updated on: 13 Jun 2018

Examples: beside in a Sentence

Definition of beside

1 a : by the side of

walk beside me

a house beside a small lake

b : in comparison with

potential complications are minor beside the benefits

c : on a par with

a composition that can be ranked beside that of the masters

2 : besides

No one knows beside me.

learning other languages beside French and English

3 : not relevant to

but that's beside the point

— beside oneself

: in a state of extreme excitement

See beside defined for English-language learners

See beside defined for kids

Examples of beside in a Sentence

She sat beside him during dinner.
The man beside her was wearing a brown suit and hat.
They were walking beside me.
Stand beside the statue and I'll take your picture.
Their house is beside a small lake.
These problems seem unimportant beside the potential benefits of the new system.

Recent Examples of beside from the Web

But as fans arrived on Thursday night for what turned out to be their team’s final game of the season, many said all the winning was beside the point.

— ken belson, New York Times, "How the Hockey Team in Las Vegas Won Despite Losing," 8 June 2018
For conservatives, too, in a way, Gorsuch himself was beside the point.

— simon van zuylen-wood, Daily Intelligencer, "How Neil Gorsuch Became the Second-Most-Polarizing Man in Washington," 28 May 2018
In Cassar-Uhl’s view, though, figuring out who has a physical barrier to making milk and who has social or psychological or even mechanical issues is beside the point.

— reyhan harmanci, The Cut, "What No One Tells You About Not Being Able to Breastfeed," 23 May 2018
But for some nautical buffs, resale value is beside the point.

— candace taylor, WSJ, "Nautical Homes: Indulging a Passion Without Going Overboard," 16 May 2018
But that was beside the point, and Jose had to have known it.

— glenn kessler, Washington Post, "CIA director nominee Haspel and the destruction of interrogation tapes: Contradictions and questions," 11 May 2018
Notice where defendant is standing,'' Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Maloney said, pointing to a figure standing beside an open passenger door of a Dodge truck to the east of Finicum's pickup.

— maxine bernstein, OregonLive.com, "Ruling expected in 2 weeks on forensic experts in case of indicted FBI agent," 25 May 2018
The second is a sticky mouthful of bass crumbles, experienced from the point of the view of someone standing right beside the masked DJ in the booth.

— kat bein, Billboard, "Marshmello Teases 'Joytime Pt 2' at EDC Las Vegas: Watch," 23 May 2018
As Meghan finally approached the altar to stand beside him, Harry looked visibly moved.

— stacey leasca, Glamour, "4 Times Prince Harry Made Us Swoon at the (Well, His) Royal Wedding," 19 May 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of beside

Middle English, adverb & preposition, from Old English be sīdan at or to the side, from be at (from bī) + sīdan, dative & accusative of sīde side — more at by

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year