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 feature premieres at Annecy on Friday as part of the festival’s Official Selection – Annecy Presents sidebar. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 23 June 2026

The film, which won the People’s Choice Award in the Venice Days sidebar of last year’s Venice Film Festival, continues a torrid streak that includes a jury prize at the Marrakech Film Festival and the best feature award at SXSW London. — Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 21 June 2026

Beyond the big premieres and studio showcases, Annecy, particularly in its sidebar sections — Contrechamp, Perspectives, WTF, Off-Limits, Midnight Specials — remains a showcase for auteur animation and works from the margins. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 19 June 2026

The distracting double borders appear to be gone, and sidebars are now attached to the main windows. — Edward Mendelson, PC Magazine, 10 June 2026

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