Meanings
- In addition to.
Besides José, I'll invite Jay and Renée, the three of them.
1 more example
During the whole time of his abode in the university he generally spent thirteen hours of the day in study; by which assiduity besides an exact dispatch of the whole course of philosophy, he read over in a manner all classic authors that are extant […]
1661, John Fell, “The Life of the most learned, reverend and pious Dr. H. Hammond”, quoted in Ecclesiastical Biography by Christopher Wordsworth, fourth edition, volume IV, London: Francis & John Rivington (1853) - Other than; except for; instead of.
I don't want to go anywhere besides India.
1 more example
I want to go with someone besides my father.
Synonyms: barring
- informalBeside, next to.
1561, Geneva Bible, Acts 16:13, And on the Sabbath day, we went out of the citie, beſides a riuer, where they were wont to pray : and we ſate downe, and ſpake vnto the women, which were come together.
2 more examples
After this, was Edwin the Kings brother accuſed of ſome conſpiracie by him begun againſt the K. whervpõ he was baniſhed the land, and ſent out in an old rotten veſſell without rower or Marriner, onely accompanied with one Eſquire, ſo that beeing launched foorth from the ſhore, through very diſpaire Edwin lept into the Sea, and drowned himſelfe, but the Eſquire that was with him recouered his body, and broughte it to land at Withſand beſides Canterbury.
1577, Raphaell Holinshed, “The Historie of Englande”, in The Firste Volume of the Chronicles of England, Scotlande, and Irelande […], volume I, London: […] [Henry Bynneman] for Iohn Harrison, →OCLC, page 225Beſides them both, vpon the ſoiled gras / The dead corſe of an armed knight was ſpred, […]
1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto I”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, page 198
- conjunctivenot comparableAlso; in addition.
We've paid for your whole education and plenty more besides!
3 more examples
It is besides used as a food, either as a sallad^([sic]), raw, or boiled as greens.
1776, Thomas Pennant, A Tour in Scotland and Voyage to the Hebrides, 1772This was but one of Cluny’s hiding-places; he had caves, besides, and underground chambers in several parts of his country; and following the reports of his scouts, he moved from one to another as the soldiers drew near or moved away.
1886 May 1 – July 31, Robert Louis Stevenson, Kidnapped, being Memoirs of the Adventures of David Balfour in the Year 1751: […], London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 1886, →OCLCIn the end, Chelsea's organisation and discipline was rewarded but Di Matteo knows they will have to produce the same - and more besides - in the Nou Camp to confirm a meeting with either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in the final in Munich next month.
2012 April 18, Phil McNulty, “Chelsea 1-0 Barcelona”, in BBC Sport - conjunctivenot comparableUsed to emphasize an additional point, especially an important or stronger reason; moreover; furthermore.
I don't feel like going out tonight. Besides, I have to work tomorrow morning anyway.
- not comparableobsoleteOn one side.
You are so strongly in my purpose bred That all the world besides methinks are dead
1609, William Shakespeare, “Sonnet 112”, in Shake-speares Sonnets. […], London: By G[eorge] Eld for T[homas] T[horpe] and are to be sold by William Aspley, →OCLC1 more example
Yet Teucer would another shaft, at Hectors life dispose; So faine, he such a marke would hit: but still besides it goes;
c. 1611, George Chapman, transl., The Iliads of Homer, London: Nathaniell Butter, Book 8, p. 111
Synonyms & antonyms
prepositionOther than; except for; instead of.
More synonyms by meaning
adverbmaking an additional point; anyway
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Middle Englishbisides
- Englishbesides
From Middle English bisides (also bisiden), extension of biside, equivalent to beside + -s (adverbial suffix).
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek πλήν, νόσφι
- πλήν (plḗn)other than; except for
- νόσφι (nósphi)other than; except for
- ἄνευ (áneu)other than; except for
- ἔξω (éxō)other than; except for
- ἐκτός (ektós)other than; except for
- ἔμπλην (émplēn)other than; except for
- δίχα (díkha)other than; except for
- παρέκ (parék)other than; except for
Arabic إِلَّا, بِٱسْتِثْنَاء
- إِلَّا (ʔillā)other than; except for
- بِٱسْتِثْنَاء (bi-stiṯnāʔ)other than; except for
- عِلَاوَة عَلَى ذٰلِكَ (ʕilāwa ʕalā ḏālika)moreover; furthermore
Bulgarian осве́н това́, осве́н
- осве́н това́ (osvén tová)in addition to
- осве́н (osvén)other than; except for
- също (săšto)also; in addition
- в допълнение (v dopălnenie)also; in addition
- освен това (osven tova)moreover; furthermore
- освен (osven)otherwise; else
Catalan a més, excepte
- a mésin addition to
- excepteother than; except for
- tret (de)other than; except for
- exceptuantother than; except for
- llevat (de)other than; except for
- a mésalso; in addition
- a més a mésmoreover; furthermore
- d'altra bandaotherwise; else
Chinese Mandarin 除了...以外, 除了...以外
- 除了...以外 (chúle...yǐwài)in addition to
- 除了...以外 (chúle...yǐwài)other than; except for
- 還有 /还有 (háiyǒu)also; in addition
- 並且 /并且 (bìngqiě)also; in addition
- 並且 /并且 (bìngqiě)moreover; furthermore
- 而且 (érqiě)moreover; furthermore
- 還有 /还有 (háiyǒu)moreover; furthermore
- 況且 /况且 (kuàngqiě)moreover; furthermore
Czech kromě
- kroměin addition to
Dutch naast, behalve
- naastin addition to
- behalveother than; except for
- bovendienalso; in addition
- daarenbovenalso; in addition
- daarbijalso; in addition
- daarnaastmoreover; furthermore
- bovendienmoreover; furthermore
- voortsmoreover; furthermore
- behalve datotherwise; else
- daarnaastotherwise; else
- daarbuitenotherwise; else
Esperanto cetere, aldone al
- ceterein addition to
- aldone alin addition to
- kromother than; except for
- escepte (de)other than; except for
- aldonealso; in addition
- kromealso; in addition
- pluealso; in addition
- ceteremoreover; furthermore
- kromemoreover; furthermore
- pluemoreover; furthermore
Finnish lisäksi, paitsi
- lisäksiin addition to
- paitsiother than; except for
- muu kuinother than; except for
- lisäksialso; in addition
- lisäksimoreover; furthermore
- sitä paitsimoreover; furthermore
- muutenotherwise; else
French de plus, en plus en outre
- de plusin addition to
- en plus en outrein addition to
- de surcroîtin addition to
- par surcroît par ailleursin addition to
- d'un autre côtéin addition to
- d'autre partin addition to
- au restein addition to
- du restein addition to
- exceptéother than; except for
- saufother than; except for
- de plusalso; in addition
- en plus en outrealso; in addition
- de surcroîtalso; in addition
- par surcroît par ailleursalso; in addition
- d'un autre côtéalso; in addition
- d'autre partalso; in addition
- au restealso; in addition
- du restealso; in addition
- de plusmoreover; furthermore
- en plus en outremoreover; furthermore
- de surcroîtmoreover; furthermore
- par surcroît par ailleursmoreover; furthermore
German außer, außer
- außerin addition to
- außerother than; except for
- außerdemalso; in addition
- weiterhinalso; in addition
- darüber hinausalso; in addition
- außerdemmoreover; furthermore
Greek εκτός, εκτός
- εκτός (ektós)in addition to
- εκτός (ektós)other than; except for
- πλην (plin)other than; except for
- επιπλέον (epipléon)also; in addition
- επιπροσθέτως (epiprosthétos)also; in addition
- επιπλέον (epipléon)moreover; furthermore
- επιπροσθέτως (epiprosthétos)moreover; furthermore
- συν τοις άλλοις (syn tois állois)moreover; furthermore
- άλλωστε (álloste)otherwise; else
- εξάλλου (exállou)otherwise; else
Hindi के सिवाय, के अलावा
- के सिवाय (ke sivāy)other than; except for
- के अलावा (ke alāvā)other than; except for
- के अतिरिक्त (ke atirikt)other than; except for
Hungarian mellett, kívül
- mellettin addition to
- kívülin addition to
- kivéveother than; except for
- csakother than; except for
- csakisother than; except for
- egyedülother than; except for
- ezenkívülalso; in addition
- ezenfelülalso; in addition
- azonkívülalso; in addition
- azonfelülalso; in addition
- mégalso; in addition
- hozzáalso; in addition
- melléalso; in addition
- emellettalso; in addition
- amellettalso; in addition
- azontúlalso; in addition
- különben ismoreover; furthermore
- egyébként ismoreover; furthermore
Icelandic einnig, auk þess
- einnigalso; in addition
- auk þessmoreover; furthermore
Indonesian selain
- selainin addition to
Irish le cois, seachas
- le coisin addition to
- seachasother than; except for
- diomaite deother than; except for
- le coisalso; in addition
- rud eile demoreover; furthermore
Italian oltre a, ad eccezione di
- oltre ain addition to
- ad eccezione diother than; except for
- in aggiuntaalso; in addition
- inoltremoreover; furthermore
- altrimentiotherwise; else
Japanese ...のほかに, ...に加えて
- ...のほかに (...no hoka ni)in addition to
- ...に加えて (...ni kuwaete)in addition to
- ...を除いて (...o nozoite)other than; except for
- ...以外は (...igai wa)other than; except for
- それにalso; in addition
- ほかに (hoka ni)also; in addition
- さらに (sara ni)moreover; furthermore
- その上に (sono ue ni)moreover; furthermore
- なお (nao)moreover; furthermore
Latin item, alioqui
- itemin addition to
- alioquialso; in addition
- praetermoreover; furthermore
Māori hāunga
- hāungaother than; except for
Persian بجز, جز
- بجز (bejoz)other than; except for
- جز (joz)other than; except for
Polish oprócz, poza
- opróczin addition to
- pozain addition to
- poza tymalso; in addition
- zresztąmoreover; furthermore
- poza tymmoreover; furthermore
Portuguese além de, além de
- além dein addition to
- além deother than; except for
- a não serother than; except for
- excetoother than; except for
- além dissoalso; in addition
- fora issoalso; in addition
- ademaisalso; in addition
- além dissomoreover; furthermore
- fora issomoreover; furthermore
Russian кро́ме, поми́мо
- кро́ме (króme)in addition to
- поми́мо (pomímo)in addition to
- кро́ме (króme)other than; except for
- исключа́я (isključája)other than; except for
- за исключе́нием (za isključénijem)other than; except for
- кро́ме того́ (króme tovó)also; in addition
- к тому́ же (k tomú že)also; in addition
- бо́лее того́ (bóleje tovó)moreover; furthermore
- сверх того́ (sverx tovó)moreover; furthermore
- кро́ме того́ (króme tovó)otherwise; else
Scottish Gaelic a bharrachd air, a thuilleadh air
- a bharrachd airin addition to
- a thuilleadh airin addition to
Slovak okrem, popri
- okremin addition to
- popriin addition to
- okremother than; except for
- tiežalso; in addition
- navyšealso; in addition
- navyšemoreover; furthermore
- tiežmoreover; furthermore
- inakotherwise; else
Spanish aparte de, además de
- aparte dein addition to
- además dein addition to
- extra dein addition to
- amén dein addition to
- fuera dein addition to
- amén deother than; except for
- fuera deother than; except for
- ademásalso; in addition
- apartealso; in addition
- asimismoalso; in addition
- ítem másalso; in addition
- de ajustealso; in addition
- de chemísalso; in addition
- ademásmoreover; furthermore
- de lo contrariootherwise; else
- si nootherwise; else
Swahili aidha
- aidhain addition to
Swedish dessutom
- dessutommoreover; furthermore
Turkish dışında
- dışındain addition to
Ukrainian крім, крім
- крім (krim)in addition to
- крім (krim)other than; except for
- крім то́го (krim tóho)also; in addition
- крім то́го (krim tóho)moreover; furthermore
Vietnamese cũng như, trừ
- cũng nhưin addition to
- trừother than; except for
- ngoại trừother than; except for
- ngoàiother than; except for
- ngoài raalso; in addition
- hơn nữamoreover; furthermore
- nếu khôngotherwise; else
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with besides
All rhymes →Cite this entry
besides. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/besides
“besides.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/besides. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “besides,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/besides.
Source: besides on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.