alongside
Americanadverb
preposition
-
beside; by the side of.
The dog ran alongside me all the way.
-
Informal. alongside of, compared with.
Alongside of his brother, he is no student at all.
preposition
adverb
Etymology
Origin of alongside
Explanation
Use the adverb alongside when two things are right next to each other, like a boat and a dock or a hunter and her loyal dog. If you pull up alongside your friend's car in a parking lot, it means that you've parked directly beside it. Alongside can also imply cooperation, as when a baker's assistant works alongside him, kneading dough and wiping flour off the counter. Alongside was once a phrase, either "along side" or "along the side," both primarily used in a nautical sense, to talk about boats. In the 1700s it became a single word.
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.
You will be able to watch the draw, alongside live text updates, on the BBC Sport website and app from 11:00 GMT.
From BBC • Nov. 22, 2023
With two games to play, both Iran and South Korea have already booked their spots in next week’s World Cup draw, alongside Qatar, which qualified automatically as the host nation.
From New York Times • Mar. 23, 2022
Maria Sharapova is the top-seeded player in the women’s tournament, while Roger Federer headlines the field in the men’s draw, alongside defending champion Lleyton Hewitt.
From Washington Times • Jan. 4, 2015
A first victory of the season, ending an 11-match winless run, saw Hearts progress to Friday's 76-team play-off draw alongside Rangers and Celtic.
From The Guardian • Aug. 4, 2011
Ruggles threw out the little anchor, to allow the yacht to draw alongside.
From Swift and Sure by Strang, Herbert
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.
