besides
Americanadverb
preposition
-
over and above; in addition to.
Besides a mother he has a sister to support.
-
other than; except.
There's no one here besides Bill and me.
preposition
adverb
Commonly Confused
See beside.
Synonym Usage
Besides, moreover both indicate something additional to what has already been stated. Besides often suggests that the addition is in the nature of an afterthought: The bill cannot be paid as yet; besides, the work is not completed. Moreover is more formal and implies that the addition is something particular, emphatic, or important: I did not like the house; moreover, it was too high-priced.
Etymology
Origin of besides
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English; see origin at beside, -s 1
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.
To be sure, with stocks near record territory on Friday, nervous investors had plenty of other things to worry about besides obscure technicals.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 15, 2026
Such a structure could account for the strong Balmer break and for the fact that researchers detected little besides hydrogen and helium.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 13, 2026
"But back when I lost my sight, there was nothing else I could do besides this job."
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
Mr. O’Connell argues that, besides moving in the direction of home, the chief activity of the Greek army was “the acquisition of humans.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
And besides Albert there were twenty-eight other people, including Imogene Herdman.
From "The Best School Year Ever" by Barbara Robinson
Definitions 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.
