aside

American  

[uh-sahyd] / əˈsaɪd /

adverb

1. on or to one side; to or at a short distance apart; away from some position or direction.

   to turn aside; to move the chair aside.

2. away from one's thoughts or consideration.

   to put one's cares aside.

3. in reserve; in a separate place, as for safekeeping; apart; away.

   to put some money aside for a rainy day.

4. away from a present group, especially for reasons of privacy; off to another part, as of a room; into or to a separate place.

   He took him aside and talked business.

5. in spite of; put apart; notwithstanding.

   all kidding aside; unusual circumstances aside.

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noun

asides plural

1. a part of an actor's lines supposedly not heard by others on the stage and intended only for the audience.

2. words spoken so as not to be heard by others present.

3. a temporary departure from a main theme or topic, especially a parenthetical comment or remark; short digression.

idioms

1. aside from,

   1. apart from; besides; excluding.

      Aside from her salary, she receives money from investments.

   2. except for.

      They had no more food, aside from a few stale rolls.

aside British  

/ əˈsaɪd /

adverb

1. on or to one side

   they stood aside to let him pass

2. out of hearing; in or into seclusion

   he took her aside to tell her of his plan

3. away from oneself

   he threw the book aside

4. out of mind or consideration

   he put aside all fears

5. in or into reserve

   to put aside money for old age

6. (preposition)

   1. besides

      he has money aside from his possessions

   2. except for Compare apart

      he has nothing aside from the clothes he stands in

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noun

1. something spoken by an actor, intended to be heard by the audience, but not by the others on stage

2. any confidential statement spoken in undertones

3. a digression

aside More Idioms  

1. see all joking aside; lay aside; set aside; take aside.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• quasi-aside
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• asides
  plural

Etymology

Origin of aside

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at a- ¹, side ¹

Explanation

If something's aside, it's not in the middle of things — it's off to the side, either literally or figuratively, as with the papers and books you push aside on the couch, to make room to sit. When you ignore your conscience, you're pushing your best instincts aside. You can put money aside, to save it for the future. In a play, when an actor steps out of character and speaks directly to the audience, that's an aside. The expression "all joking aside," means "stop kidding around and get serious" as in, "All joking aside, you're not really going bungee jumping, are you?"

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

aside asides

Second, Congress should explicitly empower federal courts to set aside any action a commission takes while inquorate.

From Slate ● Jul. 13, 2026

“I hope that South Carolinians will join me in setting partisanship aside and offering gratitude to Senator Lindsey Graham for his service to the great state of South Carolina,” Andrews wrote.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026

But aside from that statement and some reported phone calls with a handful of people, he did not appear in public or in photos.

From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026

But setting the importance of the consumer aside, the U.S. government has another incentive to protect the market.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 11, 2026

"It would be better," said Allun mildly, "if we put aside our differences."

From "Rowan of Rin" by Emily Rodda

The unlikely diplomat trying to end Europe’s bloodiest war since 1945 speaks in golfing metaphors and long asides about the nature of capital markets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 20, 2025

In such asides, Capote subtly reveals how food leads to story, our narratives as nourishing as anything on our holiday plates.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 21, 2025

As a child, Plant recalls trundling in his family’s car through interesting, evocative landscapes and, “Misty Mountains that actually were misty mountains,” he says, making another of his not-infrequent Zeppelin asides.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 20, 2025

Musically, it's a breathless, colourful sprint through a night out, full of conversational asides and budding romance.

From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2025

In one of the asides that probably prepared us for the job better than any of the approved curriculum items, Kirkley said that occasionally officers did have to act in self-defense.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover

Related Words

• alone
• away
• out
• separately