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’.

Examples: Besides in a sentence
I’ve never loved anyone besides you!

Besides being a writer, Sophie is a painter.

Tyra wasn’t free on the night of the party. Besides, she wasn’t even invited.

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How to use besides in a sentence

Besides can be used as a preposition meaning ‘except’ or ‘in addition to’.

Examples: Besides as a preposition
Jen likes all fruit besides apples.

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.

Examples: Besides as an adverb
At the party, there’ll be games and snacks and more besides.

You have to stay home and study. Besides, there’s no room in the car.

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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.
Examples: Beside vs besides
  • 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.

Examples: Besides the point vs beside the point
  • 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.

Examples: Besides that in a sentence
Danny enjoys writing fanfiction. I don’t know much about him besides that.

Lorenza designs and builds furniture. Besides that, she sings in the local choir.

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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.

Frequently asked questions

What is a synonym of ‘besides’?

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’?

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.
Is besides a preposition?

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’).

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Ryan, E. (2022, October 20). Besides | Meaning, Definition & Example Sentences. Scribbr. Retrieved 30 September 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/definition/besides-meaning/

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Eoghan Ryan

Eoghan has a lot of experience with theses and dissertations at bachelor's, MA, and PhD level. He has taught university English courses, helping students to improve their research and writing.