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

This year is was the turn of Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, with Rora Dairy, near Peterhead, exhibiting for the first time, alongside dozens of other small food producers.

From BBC • Jun. 28, 2026

Jarell Quansah came in at right-back for the injured Reece James and was asked to slot into a back three in possession - alongside Marc Guehi and Ezri Konsa.

From BBC • Jun. 28, 2026

Built of concrete and sheathed in stainless steel, it is our tallest monument alongside our greatest river.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 27, 2026

He asked for patience in rebuilding the team alongside Jolly.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 27, 2026

Water was heavy to carry, and their plan before the eruption was to hike alongside plenty of rivers and streams.

From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone