besides

American  

[bih-sahydz] / bɪˈsaɪdz /

adverb

1. moreover; furthermore; also.

   Besides, I promised her we would come.

   Synonyms:

   further

2. in addition.

   There are three elm trees and two maples besides.

3. otherwise; else.

   They had a roof over their heads but not much besides.

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preposition

1. over and above; in addition to.

   Besides a mother he has a sister to support.

2. other than; except.

   There's no one here besides Bill and me.

besides British  

/ bɪˈsaɪdz /

preposition

1. apart from; even considering

   besides costing too much, the scheme is impractical

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1. anyway; moreover

adverb

1. as well

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

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