besides
Americanadverb
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.
preposition
adverb
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; see origin at beside, -s 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But besides both being viruses, the similarities between SARS-CoV-2 and hantavirus actually aren’t close.
From Salon • May 11, 2026
“One of our jobs, your Honor, as you know very well, besides advocating for our clients, is protecting them from themselves,” Aidala told the judge.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 10, 2026
The other 10 points, besides the four touchdowns and field goal, were given out equally for victories in side competitions in between the first and second quarters and third and fourth quarters.
From Los Angeles Times • May 2, 2026
Talking to a professional will not cost you anything besides their fee and you’ll likely walk away with some information you wouldn’t have found yourself.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 29, 2026
If Red could meet real trolls, she’d see that they were much nicer than Frederick and Bruno—and less ugly besides.
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
