aside

B2 · Upper Intermediate

adv. not including something or keeping it separate from your main thoughts.

adv. used to indicate that a particular factor is being excluded from consideration or kept separate for later use.

“Joking aside, we really need to finish this project by five o'clock.”

“Setting aside the obvious financial risks, the board felt that the potential for long-term growth justified the investment.”

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Theater Technical

n. a short comment an actor makes to the audience that the other characters cannot hear.

n. a dramatic device in which a character speaks to the audience, intended to be unheard by other characters on stage.

“The villain turned to the audience and made a quick aside about his evil plan.”

“Shakespeare frequently employs the aside to allow characters like Iago to reveal their true motives to the audience while maintaining a facade before their peers.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun

n. a small comment that is not part of the main subject.

n. a remark or story that is not part of the main subject of a conversation or piece of writing.

“The teacher made a brief aside about his own school days before returning to the history lesson.”

“The author's frequent asides regarding the political climate of the era provide valuable context, even if they occasionally disrupt the narrative flow.”