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.
Synonym Usage
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.
Yet many AI hyperscalers are “really high-quality companies” with other avenues besides AI that “will make their debt money good,” he said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
Each smaller than a grain of rice, the sculptures pays tribute to Nobel Prize-winning physicist CV Raman and aerospace engineer and former Indian president APJ Abdul Kalam, besides Sarabhai.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
What could I do besides love the children and grandchildren fiercely and be grateful for the privilege?
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
Few British prime ministers besides Winston Churchill or Margaret Thatcher have wide public recognition in the United States.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
They had done very little the past two days besides watch me spin gold or run mindless errands for the miller.
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.
