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.
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.
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
Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 19 Mar. 2025
Exact numbers aside, the overarching reality is that a healthy relationship typically builds slowly — with time spent getting to know one another, experiencing hardships together and seeing each other in various contexts.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025
Lisa Kennedy, The Denver Post, 7 Feb. 2025
Should the tale of a 600-year-old artist, with its technical asides on the art of the fresco, come before the tale of modern-day teenage angst?
—Adam Begley, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2025
Rebecca Jennings, Vulture, 5 Mar. 2025
During the Cold War, major powers signed the Antarctic Treaty, setting aside territorial claims on the continent and committing instead to use it as a site of international scientific exploration and cooperation.
—Michael Albertus, Foreign Affairs, 4 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for aside
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adverb
Hollywood movies aside, the 7500 revealed a very different way of flying.
—Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 19 Mar. 2025
Exact numbers aside, the overarching reality is that a healthy relationship typically builds slowly — with time spent getting to know one another, experiencing hardships together and seeing each other in various contexts.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025
Noun
Sometimes, his wisecracks and confessional asides come as a direct address.
—Lisa Kennedy, The Denver Post, 7 Feb. 2025
Should the tale of a 600-year-old artist, with its technical asides on the art of the fresco, come before the tale of modern-day teenage angst?
—Adam Begley, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2025
Preposition
Senate Bill 764 mandates that parents of children shown in at least 30 percent of monetized online content set aside the same proportion of the earnings into a trust until the child turns 18.
—Rebecca Jennings, Vulture, 5 Mar. 2025
During the Cold War, major powers signed the Antarctic Treaty, setting aside territorial claims on the continent and committing instead to use it as a site of international scientific exploration and cooperation.
—Michael Albertus, Foreign Affairs, 4 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for aside
Cite this Entry
“Aside.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aside. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
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
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