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
Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 13 Sep. 2025
This concern has been tossed around (and tossed aside) for years.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Sep. 2025
David Browne, Rolling Stone, 13 Sep. 2025
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert The Late Show filmed its news segment before the news of Kirk’s death, explained Stephen Colbert, who then expressed his condolences to the Kirk family in an aside to the monologue.
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 12 Sep. 2025
Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
The payment satisfies the city’s housing policy that requires developers to either set aside a percentage of affordable units or pay an in-lieu fee.
—Mona Darwish, Oc Register, 13 Sep. 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
On Wednesday, New York mayoral favorite Zohran Mamdani launched a public petition, calling on FIFA to make tickets to 2026 World Cup games—including the final in New Jersey—affordable, pushing the international soccer organization to set aside 15% of seats for locals in particular.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 13 Sep. 2025
This concern has been tossed around (and tossed aside) for years.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Sep. 2025
Noun
Those records are now asides and ephemera, not events.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 13 Sep. 2025
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert The Late Show filmed its news segment before the news of Kirk’s death, explained Stephen Colbert, who then expressed his condolences to the Kirk family in an aside to the monologue.
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 12 Sep. 2025
Preposition
Workplace success is often about setting aside these assumptions long enough to test what is actually true.
—Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
The payment satisfies the city’s housing policy that requires developers to either set aside a percentage of affordable units or pay an in-lieu fee.
—Mona Darwish, Oc Register, 13 Sep. 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 18 Sep. 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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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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