beyond

American  

[bee-ond, bih-yond] / biˈɒnd, bɪˈyɒnd /

preposition

1. on, at, or to the farther side of.

   Beyond those trees you'll find his house.

2. farther on than; more distant than.

   beyond the horizon;

   beyond the sea.

3. outside the understanding, limits, or reach of; past.

   beyond comprehension;

   beyond endurance;

   beyond help.

4. superior to; surpassing; above.

   wise beyond all others.

5. more than; in excess of; over and above.

   to stay beyond one's welcome.

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adverb

1. farther on or away.

   as far as the house and beyond.

idioms

1. the beyond,

   1. that which is at a great distance.

   2. Also the great beyond the afterlife; life after death.

beyond British  

/ bɪˈjɒnd /

preposition

1. at or to a point on the other side of; at or to the further side of

   beyond those hills there is a river

2. outside the limits or scope of

   beyond this country's jurisdiction

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adverb

1. at or to the other or far side of something

2. outside the limits of something

noun

1. the unknown; the world outside the range of human perception, esp life after death in certain religious beliefs

beyond More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing beyond

• above and beyond
• back of beyond
• can't see beyond the end of one's nose

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Other Word Forms

• beyondness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of beyond

First recorded before 1000; Middle English beyonden, Old English begeondan. See be-, yond (adverb)

Explanation

Beyond is an adverb that means “in addition” or “farther along." If you’re headed to the silo beyond the barn, that means you’re going to the silo that’s on the far side of the barn. Beyond is related to the word yonder, which you might have heard in expressions like, “Over yonder hill, you’ll see a picket fence.” Yonder kind of means “that one over there, in the distance.” Beyond is past yonder. If you’re going above and beyond, it means you’re doing more than was expected. If you’re beyond Kelly in your math homework, it means you’ve done more than she has. And if the show was beyond your expectations, it was better than you had hoped.

Example Sentences

Because these operations rely mainly on Chinese banks and customers, and don’t interact with the U.S. financial system, they are beyond the reach of U.S. sanctions.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026

Bondi's inclusion on the president's council, known as PCAST, is the first news of her work beyond the department.

From BBC • May 27, 2026

“Their capex is far beyond the cash they make,” she says.

From Barron's • May 27, 2026

Even in the opening phase of the war, when the Russians were predicted to win, they couldn’t maintain supply lines 100 miles or so beyond their borders.

From Slate • May 27, 2026

Maybe that was the only way of keeping our hopes alive, by looking beyond all we were seeing around us, and the shadow of disaster that hung over us.

From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo