prep
beside
bih-SYD
prep
1
Next to; at the side of.
"She sat beside him on the train."
2
Not related to; off the point.
"That argument is beside the question we're actually discussing."
How to Use Beside
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishPhysically next to something, or, in the phrase "beside the point," irrelevant.
Common mistake
"Beside" means next to; "besides" means "in addition to" or "apart from" — they are not interchangeable.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
beside the point
sit beside
beside oneself
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She sat _____ him on the train.
Etymology
From Old English be sīdan, literally "by the side."