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.
And besides, the differences between Castellano and Gotti were real, and got played out on the sidewalk outside Sparks.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 10, 2026
It takes a big collective effort of a dozen or more people to drag the wriggling mass of snapper, mackerel, barracuda, rays, and many more fish besides, onto the beach.
From BBC • Jul. 5, 2026
But there are reasons besides the calendar for investors to approach this corner of the market with caution.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 30, 2026
At least for the sake of torch-passing, someone should have thought of something for the newish members introduced in “Jackass Forever” to do besides stand around and applaud.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 26, 2026
“And besides, I can read my blood count on the chart. Every day it gets worse.”
From "Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes" by Eleanor Coerr
![]()
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.