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 documentary directed by Maxence Voiseux bows in the Directors’ Fortnight sidebar, alongside fictional titles including Butterfly Jam, Atonement, and Clarissa. —Matthew Carey, Deadline, 13 May 2026

Premiering in Competition at Cannes — a major promotion for the filmmaker, whose debut bowed in the Critics’ Week sidebar — the film reinvents no wheels but its details are specific and rewarding. —Guy Lodge, Variety, 13 May 2026

But his sidebar work as a filmmaker, typically under the name Bernard Shakey, has had more sporadic and unpredictable output. —Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026

Running parallel, the Contrechamp sidebar — Annecy’s platform for more formally adventurous features — will open with Welcome to Dolly’s House, a Taiwanese film from directors Seven Ych, Rady Fu and Tree MutaIt, blending the world of YouTube creators with fantasy elements. —Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 28 Apr. 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