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

Additonally, the workshops’ Atlas Station 2025 sidebar, which is billed as a springboard for young Moroccan producers and directors, will support seven emerging Moroccan film professionals as well as four short films. —Zac Ntim, Deadline, 19 Nov. 2025

One is a competition packed by on-the-rise filmmakers, bidding for more major recognition after prizes or critical applause in major sidebars of big fests, or events just outside A-list events, affording a sense of genuine discovery. —Pablo Sandoval, Variety, 14 Nov. 2025

The film premiered in the Horizons sidebar of the Venice Film Festival last year, winning the best actor prize for star Francesco Gheghi, who plays Luigi, at the fest. —Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 13 Nov. 2025

This story originally appeared in-print as a sidebar to the cover story on Noah Lyles. —Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 12 Nov. 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