aside

1 of 3

adverb

ə-ˈsīd 

1

: to or toward the side

stepped aside

2

: away from others or into privacy

pulled him aside

3

: out of the way especially for future use : away

putting aside savings

4

: away from one's thought or consideration

All kidding aside, we really need to get busy.

aside

2 of 3

noun

1

: an utterance not meant to be heard by someone

especially : an actor's speech heard by the audience but supposedly not by other characters

2

: a comment or discussion that does not relate directly to the main subject being discussed : digression

He frequently interrupted his narrative with amusing asides.

aside

3 of 3

preposition

obsolete

: beyond, past

Synonyms

Noun

• tangent

Examples of aside in a Sentence

Adverb

He stepped aside and let her pass.

He threw his coat aside.

She laid the book aside.

He elbowed people aside as he moved through the crowd.

He took her aside to speak to her privately.

Someone grabbed him and pulled him aside.

Noun

She made a joke about the food in a muttered aside to her husband.

The book includes several lengthy asides about the personal lives of scientists involved in the project.

In his speech he mentioned her contributions almost as an aside, despite the fact that she was the one who came up with the idea originally.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

Teething issues aside, the EPIC by Vue experience was excellent. —Benny Har-Even, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025

In a surprising aside given the damaging, lurid testimony in the trial about Combs’ private life, Agnifilo said one of Diddy’s future goals is to perform at one of New York’s most iconic venues again. —Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 7 Aug. 2025

Noun

Exemptions are better than abatements—Exemptions for a set period with specific set asides seem to create the most predictability for the developer. —Roger Valdez, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025

Over the course of its nearly 30-year run, South Park has deployed toilet humor, ruthless political commentary, and profane asides to eviscerate wide swaths of people. —Paula Mejía, The Atlantic, 31 July 2025

Preposition

Right management literature: Read books and articles focused on value creation, setting aside works that reiterate, assume, or even celebrate, obsolete thinking, These principles are not new. —Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2025

In addition to Cygnet’s subscription season, Murray said the company has been looking into setting aside time when Malashock Dance, San Diego Ballet and other Liberty Station dance companies can perform at The Joan. —Point Loma-Ob Monthly, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adverb

see side entry 1

Noun

see side entry 1

Preposition

see side entry 1

First Known Use

Adverb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

circa 1751, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Preposition

1592, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing aside

• aside from
• brush aside
• cast aside
• joking aside
• lay aside
• pull aside
• push aside
• put aside
• set aside
• stand aside
• step aside
• sweep aside
• take (someone) aside
• wave aside

Rhymes for aside

• abide
• allied
• applied
• astride
• azide
• backside
• bankside
• bastide
• bayside
• bedside
• belied
• beside

Kids Definition

aside

1 of 2 adverb

ə-ˈsīd 

1

: to or toward the side

stepped aside

2

: out of the way especially for future use : away

put money aside for school

3

: away from one's thought or consideration

all kidding aside

aside

2 of 2 noun

: words meant not to be heard by someone

especially : an actor's words supposedly not heard by others on the stage