# beside

/ˌbiˈsaɪd/ (US) · /bɪsˈaɪd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/beside
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. next to

preposition · CEFR A2

at the side of something or someone; very close to.

For teachers: at the side of; in close physical proximity to a person or object.

- She sat beside her friend during the long bus ride so they could talk.
- The small cottage stood beside a winding river, its stone walls weathered by decades of damp winter air.

Usage: Always followed by a noun or pronoun as its object.

Teaching tip: Learners frequently confuse 'beside' and 'besides'. Remind them that 'beside' is for location, while 'besides' is for extra information.

### 2. not relevant

preposition · CEFR B2

not important or not related to the subject you are talking about.

For teachers: irrelevant to the matter under consideration; typically used in the phrase 'beside the point'.

- Whether you like the color or not is beside the point; we need a car that works.
- The witness's personal opinion of the defendant was deemed beside the point by the judge, who requested only factual testimony.

Usage: Almost exclusively used in the fixed idiom 'beside the point'.

Teaching tip: Teach this as a fixed chunk. It is a polite but firm way to tell someone they are focusing on the wrong detail.

### 3. compared with

preposition · CEFR C1 · Literary

compared with something else to show a difference.

For teachers: in comparison with; used to contrast two things by placing them notionally side-by-side.

- My old phone looks like a toy beside your new one.
- The local team's achievements seemed modest beside the international success of their rivals.

Teaching tip: This is a more sophisticated, slightly formal way to make a comparison.

### 4. in addition

adverb · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Literary

also, or in addition to what has already been said.

For teachers: in addition; otherwise; else. Used as a sentence connector or terminal adverb.

- The house is too expensive, and beside, it is too far from the city.
- The evidence was circumstantial at best; beside, the statute of limitations had already expired.

Usage: Usually placed at the start of a clause or after a semicolon.

Teaching tip: In modern English, 'besides' is almost always preferred for this meaning. This form is mostly found in older literature.

## Examples

- She sat beside her friend during the movie.
- The small cottage stands beside a quiet river at the edge of the woods.
- The ancient ruins lie beside a modern highway, creating a striking contrast between the architectural styles of two different millennia.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.