besides

[bih-sahydz]

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.

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

/ bɪˈsaɪdz /

preposition

1. apart from; even considering

   besides costing too much, the scheme is impractical

1. anyway; moreover

adverb

1. as well

Confusables Note

See beside.

Word History and Origins

Origin of besides¹

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English; beside, -s ¹

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

There are gems aplenty about subjects besides Webster.

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Milwaukee scored more runs than any NL team besides the Dodgers.

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They also batted .179, lower than any other opponent they faced besides the Texas Rangers.

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What was Cronin’s message about what Dent needed to do besides remain an elite offensive player?

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“Besides, I found my good life my own way. But it reminded me that when you signed that contract, you had no opportunities besides whatever mercy farmers gave you.”

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