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.
Tracking both alongside established climate indicators could help scientists determine how slow environmental changes affect human biology over periods of decades.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 15, 2026
But today’s 40% offers real income, alongside real shock absorption to shaky equity markets.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 15, 2026
Riley said it has been exciting to have Rob Ryan return for a second year to be the assistant head coach for the defense, working alongside Patterson.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
Our research suggests that this has contributed to the influx, alongside other factors such as misinformation about changes to Spanish immigration law and allegations about weak border controls.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
I’d been surprised to learn that she and Sam were permanent residents of the mountain and would continue training alongside us when they weren’t being sent on missions.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
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.
