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

And besides that, with their hard-fought Final Four victories Friday over Texas and Connecticut, respectively, barometers for other programs that dream of ascending to such elite heights.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026

But there’s something besides rising prices American consumers and investors should feel nervous about: the prospect of deflation.

From MarketWatch • 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

Don’t take our word for it—take a gander at developments in commodity prices besides energy, or financial gaming parlors such as the private-credit market.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

You know—anything besides the idea that even though my grandmother is gone, I’m still a disappointment to her legacy.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer