sidebar

noun

side·​bar ˈsīd-ˌbär 

1

a

: a short news story or graphic accompanying and presenting sidelights of a major story

b

: something incidental : sidelight

a sidebar to the essay's central theme

2

: a conference between the judge, the lawyers, and sometimes the parties to a case that the jury does not hear

Examples of sidebar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Directors’ Fortnight, the Cannes film festival independent sidebar focused on cutting-edge, auteur cinema, has unveiled its 2025 lineup. —Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 15 Apr. 2025

This year’s Work in Progress showcase – always one of the most popular sidebars at any edition of the fest – offers an enticing glimpse into 12 upcoming features and four series in varying stages of production. —Jamie Lang, Variety, 15 Apr. 2025

Then, open the Music app on the Windows computer, choose the three dots at the top of the sidebar and then choose Settings. —David Phelan, Forbes.com, 11 Apr. 2025

The sidebar devoted to discovering new talent will now award the Ami Paris Grand Prize to its winning film, beginning with this year’s 64th edition. —Rhonda Richford, WWD, 19 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1928, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for sidebar

• abattoir
• alcazar
• autocar
• avatar
• belshazzar
• caviar
• caviare
• cinnabar
• commissar
• condylar
• deodar
• handlebar

Legal Definition

sidebar

noun

side·​bar ˈsīd-ˌbär 

: sidebar conference

had failed to request a sidebar before injecting the collateral offense into the trial

—Dockery v. State, 659 So. 2d 219 (1994)

also : the place near or before the bench where a sidebar conference takes place

the judge informed both attorneys…that they…could stand at sidebar while questions were posed

—Commonwealth v. Urena, 632 N.E.2d 1200 (1994)

compare bench, stand

sidebar adjective