alongside

American  

[uh-lawng-sahyd, uh-long-] / əˈlɔŋˈsaɪd, əˈlɒŋ- /

adverb

1. along, by, at, or to the side of something.

   We brought the boat alongside.

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preposition

1. beside; by the side of.

   The dog ran alongside me all the way.

2. Informal. alongside of, compared with.

   Alongside of his brother, he is no student at all.

alongside British  

/ əˈlɒŋˌsaɪd /

preposition

1. (often foll by of) along the side of; along beside

   alongside the quay

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adverb

1. along the side of some specified thing

   come alongside

Etymology

Origin of alongside

First recorded in 1700–10; along + side ¹

Explanation

Use the adverb alongside when two things are right next to each other, like a boat and a dock or a hunter and her loyal dog. If you pull up alongside your friend's car in a parking lot, it means that you've parked directly beside it. Alongside can also imply cooperation, as when a baker's assistant works alongside him, kneading dough and wiping flour off the counter. Alongside was once a phrase, either "along side" or "along the side," both primarily used in a nautical sense, to talk about boats. In the 1700s it became a single word.

Example Sentences

It has a special place alongside the cutting from the Sycamore Gap tree.

From BBC • Jun. 17, 2026

He’ll also join the audit committee alongside board members and venture capitalists Randy Glein and Steve Jurvetson.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 17, 2026

BMW said the guidance cut is due once again to a softer market in China and the wider Asia-Pacific region, alongside second-order effects stemming from the Middle East conflict.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 17, 2026

He will also feature alongside Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman in the upcoming sequel to the witchy 1998 film “Practical Magic,” which is set for release Sept. 11.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 17, 2026

After working alongside him in the office, I knew it wasn’t something he could afford.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam