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besides

[ bih-sahydz ]
/ bɪˈsaɪdz /
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adverb
moreover; furthermore; also: Besides, I promised her we would come.
in addition: There are three elm trees and two maples besides.
otherwise; else: They had a roof over their heads but not much besides.
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.
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Origin of besides

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English; see origin at beside, -s1

synonym study for besides

1. 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.

words often confused with besides

4, 5. See beside.

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH besides

beside, besides (see confusables note at beside)
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use besides in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for besides

besides
/ (bɪˈsaɪdz) /

preposition
apart from; even consideringbesides costing too much, the scheme is impractical
sentence connector
anyway; moreover
adverb
as well
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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