beyond
Americanpreposition
-
on, at, or to the farther side of.
Beyond those trees you'll find his house.
-
farther on than; more distant than.
beyond the horizon;
beyond the sea.
-
outside the understanding, limits, or reach of; past.
beyond comprehension;
beyond endurance;
beyond help.
-
superior to; surpassing; above.
wise beyond all others.
-
more than; in excess of; over and above.
to stay beyond one's welcome.
adverb
idioms
preposition
-
at or to a point on the other side of; at or to the further side of
beyond those hills there is a river
-
outside the limits or scope of
beyond this country's jurisdiction
adverb
-
at or to the other or far side of something
-
outside the limits of something
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of beyond
First recorded before 1000; Middle English beyonden, Old English begeondan. See be-, yond (adverb)
Explanation
Beyond is an adverb that means “in addition” or “farther along." If you’re headed to the silo beyond the barn, that means you’re going to the silo that’s on the far side of the barn. Beyond is related to the word yonder, which you might have heard in expressions like, “Over yonder hill, you’ll see a picket fence.” Yonder kind of means “that one over there, in the distance.” Beyond is past yonder. If you’re going above and beyond, it means you’re doing more than was expected. If you’re beyond Kelly in your math homework, it means you’ve done more than she has. And if the show was beyond your expectations, it was better than you had hoped.
Vocabulary lists containing beyond
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.
Arthur goes on to attack her daughter’s credibility, but without producing any evidence beyond her own testimony, which is severely imperiled by a documented history of her own actions.
From Salon ● Oct. 23, 2026
Some investors are looking beyond turmoil in France for companies that depend little on their domestic market.
From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026
These findings indicate that the differences between the two groups extend beyond their locations and connections.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 23, 2026
The deal said the city could keep the first $25 million in tax revenue from the stadium every year, then use the revenue generated beyond that to reimburse Kroenke’s companies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026
Despite the fact that, beyond the sunshine, fighter planes made their way across the sky, and people had lost their homes, and we were living on rations and our streets were patrolled by soldiers.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.