Synonyms

beside the point

Idioms

Also,. Irrelevant, off the subject. For example, Whether you had insurance is beside the point; the accident is your fault. These terms came into common use in the mid-1800s. Also see neither here nor there.

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.

Whether one agrees with that characterization is beside the point.

From Barron's • Mar. 5, 2026

He’s read “Ulysses” four times, but that’s beside the point.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 25, 2026

Whether the scan reflects a genuine medical concern or a reality-TV narrative beat is almost beside the point.

From Salon • Nov. 29, 2025

But for Liu, a doctoral student at the University of Southern California, AI’s ability to perform this drudgery is beside the point.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 26, 2025

Yes, I also read it, but that's beside the point.

From "Fast Pitch" by Nic Stone

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023