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.

Related Words

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; beside, -s ¹

Example Sentences

People move for reasons besides taxes, but taxes influence the economic climate and opportunity.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

The Pitt covers everything from a measles outbreak, a shooting at a festival, the opioid crisis, medical abortion, black maternal care, homelessness and more besides.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

There’s something else about pollution — besides the disappearing mountains — that Ofari Hutchinson came to realize.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

The bot and the baby know nothing of the world it describes, besides a handful of overused jargon that, like anything, loses its meaning if repeated enough times.

From Slate • Mar. 20, 2026

The rockface was too steep for het to climb; besides, she couldn’t leave Wolf.

From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver