besides
Americanadverb
preposition
-
over and above; in addition to.
Besides a mother he has a sister to support.
-
other than; except.
There's no one here besides Bill and me.
preposition
adverb
Commonly Confused
See beside.
Related Words
Besides, moreover both indicate something additional to what has already been stated. Besides often suggests that the addition is in the nature of an afterthought: The bill cannot be paid as yet; besides, the work is not completed. Moreover is more formal and implies that the addition is something particular, emphatic, or important: I did not like the house; moreover, it was too high-priced.
Etymology
Origin of besides
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“It seemed like a lot to throw at him all at once. And besides, he did act very heroically today. He should be allowed to have his moment.”
From Literature
Daisy sighed and said, “Jay Berry, I just don’t know about you. I learn things by reading. If you would read something besides those old hunting and fishing stories, you might learn something, too.”
From Literature
Kessler was the only person we ever saw from The Kingdom besides the tax collector.
From Literature
"Being a musician wasn't my first ambition, but now definitely, because it's just probably one of the most purest outlets of creativity besides arts and artists as well," he says.
From BBC
Handpicked CEO successor Abel will, of course, face a lot of scrutiny and comparisons with Buffett, who, besides his reputation as a keen investing mind, also enjoyed the status of a cultural cornerstone.
From MarketWatch
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
