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
Nate Jones, Vulture, 18 Jan. 2025
The majority of Canadians do not wish to join the U.S. Polling aside, Canadian national defense has never been tested on our home soil in modern times.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025
Nate Anderson, Ars Technica, 4 Jan. 2025
Just as an aside for context, Dixon’s family didn’t know about the Medlock connection until the research for this seris began.
—Keith Sharon, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024
Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 17 Jan. 2025
Gorsuch complimented his fellow justices in a longer concurrence for setting aside the US government’s covert manipulation arguments and classified evidence submitted in the case.
—Rob Pegoraro, PCMAG, 17 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for aside 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Adverb
That might require elbowing aside someone like Isabella Rossellini … unless this race has room for three celebrity daughters?
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 18 Jan. 2025
The majority of Canadians do not wish to join the U.S. Polling aside, Canadian national defense has never been tested on our home soil in modern times.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025
Noun
For me, the film provided a welcome excuse to read up on Dylan, who has always been a reputable source of enjoyably gnomic quotes, self-mythologizing, and enigmatic asides.
—Nate Anderson, Ars Technica, 4 Jan. 2025
Just as an aside for context, Dixon’s family didn’t know about the Medlock connection until the research for this seris began.
—Keith Sharon, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024
Preposition
Even setting aside the considerable lore around this watch, you’re left with a truly joyous experience on the wrist, transcending its hype cycles by an order of magnitude.
—Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 17 Jan. 2025
Gorsuch complimented his fellow justices in a longer concurrence for setting aside the US government’s covert manipulation arguments and classified evidence submitted in the case.
—Rob Pegoraro, PCMAG, 17 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for aside
Dictionary Entries Near aside
Cite this Entry
“Aside.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aside. Accessed 23 Jan. 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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