1
a
: a short news story or graphic accompanying and presenting sidelights of a major story
b
: something incidental : sidelight
a sidebar to the essay's central theme
2
: a conference between the judge, the lawyers, and sometimes the parties to a case that the jury does not hear
Examples of sidebar in a Sentence
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Eligible films can premiere in Competition, Un Certain Regard, Out of Competition, Midnight Screenings and Special Screenings, Directors’ Fortnight, Critics’ Week, or the ACID sidebar.
—
Matthew Carey, Deadline, 23 May 2025
Announced Thursday by Europa Cinemas, ahead of the Directors’ Fortnight closing ceremony this afternoon, the prize is one of three at Directors’ Fortnight and awarded by one of the sidebar’s partners, given the section is non-competitive.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 22 May 2025
The Cannes Film Festival is underway, and while the Marché Du Film is as booming as ever with exciting packages of future films, there are plenty of titles playing in competition or in the Cannes sidebars that could make a big splash at the box office or the awards season race for the right buyer.
—Brian Welk, IndieWire, 18 May 2025
With all that newfound space, the building will still have room to serve as headquarters for the Directors’ Fortnight sidebar alongside the exhibit.
—Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sidebar
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Matthew Carey, Deadline, 23 May 2025
Announced Thursday by Europa Cinemas, ahead of the Directors’ Fortnight closing ceremony this afternoon, the prize is one of three at Directors’ Fortnight and awarded by one of the sidebar’s partners, given the section is non-competitive.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 22 May 2025
The Cannes Film Festival is underway, and while the Marché Du Film is as booming as ever with exciting packages of future films, there are plenty of titles playing in competition or in the Cannes sidebars that could make a big splash at the box office or the awards season race for the right buyer.
—Brian Welk, IndieWire, 18 May 2025
With all that newfound space, the building will still have room to serve as headquarters for the Directors’ Fortnight sidebar alongside the exhibit.
—Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sidebar
Cite this Entry
“Sidebar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sidebar. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
sidebar
noun
side·bar
ˈsīd-ˌbär 
: sidebar conference
had failed to request a sidebar before injecting the collateral offense into the trial—Dockery v. State, 659 So. 2d 219 (1994)
Dockery v. State, 659 So. 2d 219 (1994)
sidebar
adjective
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