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

The school's programme has faced closure demands from former residents besides Hilton, and complaints were lodged to the state's licensing agency last month.

From BBC • Jul. 8, 2026

But there are reasons besides the calendar for investors to approach this corner of the market with caution.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 30, 2026

In travel news this week, all anyone in Europe could talk about, besides Cannes Lions and the resignation of British PM Keir Starmer, was the heat wave.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 26, 2026

If you have no other sources of taxable income besides Social Security, you pay no federal taxes in retirement, as Roth distributions aren’t taxable.

From Barron's • Jun. 24, 2026

“And I didn’t see anyone come out of that bathroom besides you.”

From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix