Besides | Meaning, Definition & Example Sentences
Besides can be used as a preposition meaning ‘except’ or ‘in addition to’. It can also be used as an adverb meaning ‘as well’ or ‘moreover’.
Besides being a writer, Sophie is a painter.
Tyra wasn’t free on the night of the party. Besides, she wasn’t even invited.
Scribbr’s free Grammar Checker can help ensure you use words like ‘besides’ correctly in your writing.
How to use besides in a sentence
Besides can be used as a preposition meaning ‘except’ or ‘in addition to’.
Besides his two dogs, Zayne has three cats.
It can also be used as an adverb meaning ‘as well’ or ‘furthermore‘. When it introduces a sentence or independent clause, it’s followed by a comma.
You have to stay home and study. Besides, there’s no room in the car.
Beside or besides
Beside and besides are related words, but they don’t have the same meaning and shouldn’t be used interchangeably.
- Beside (no ‘s’) is a preposition meaning ‘next to’. It can also be used to mean ‘compared with’, though this meaning is less common (e.g., ‘My handwriting looks awful beside yours’).
- Besides (with an ‘s’) has various meanings including ‘except’, ‘as well as’, and ‘furthermore’. Unlike ‘beside’, it doesn’t refer to literal physical proximity.
- The post office is besides the cinema.
- The post office is beside the cinema.
- Gina has done nothing today beside reading.
- Gina has done nothing today besides reading.
Besides the point or beside the point
Beside the point is an expression used to describe something as ‘irrelevant’ or ‘unimportant’. While ‘besides the point’ is sometimes used by mistake, it’s incorrect and should be avoided.
- It’s besides the point that the call was important. You shouldn’t have been driving while using your phone.
- It’s beside the point that the call was important. You shouldn’t have been driving while using your phone.
Besides that
Besides that means ‘other than that’ or in addition to that’. ‘That’ is used in this expression to refer back to a thing you have previously mentioned. If it introduces a sentence or independent clause, it’s followed by a comma.
Lorenza designs and builds furniture. Besides that, she sings in the local choir.
Other interesting language articles
If you want to know more about commonly confused words, definitions, and differences between US and UK spellings, make sure to check out some of our other language articles with explanations, examples, and quizzes.
Confused words
Definitions
US vs. UK spellings
Frequently asked questions
- What is a synonym of ‘besides’?
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There are different synonyms for the various meanings of besides.
Except In addition to As well Furthermore Apart from As well as Also Additionally But Along with Too Further Other than Together with Moreover - Is it ‘beside’ or ‘besides’?
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Beside and besides are related words, but they don’t have the same meaning.
- Beside is a preposition meaning ‘next to’. It can also be used to mean ‘compared with’.
- Besides can be used as a preposition and adverb. It has various meanings including ‘apart from’, ‘in addition to’, and ‘moreover’, but isn’t used for literal physical closeness.
Scribbr’s Grammar Checker can help ensure you’re using words like ‘beside’ and ‘besides’ correctly in your writing.
- Is besides a preposition?
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Yes, besides is a preposition meaning ‘apart from’ (e.g., ‘Laura doesn’t like hot drinks besides cocoa’). It can also be used to mean ‘as well as’ (e.g., ‘Besides traveling, Angie enjoys cooking’).
Scribbr’s Grammar Checker can help ensure you’re using ‘besides’ correctly in your writing.
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Ryan, E. (2024, November 07). Besides | Meaning, Definition & Example Sentences. Scribbr. Retrieved 10 February 2025, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/definition/besides-meaning/
