# aside

Pronunciation: say "uh-SYD" /əˈsaɪd/

## Adverb

1. Left out of what is being considered.
   - Simple: Not counted or thought about, kept apart from the main topic.
   - _Logistics aside, the proposal is sound and worth pursuing._
   - _Personal feelings aside, the committee judged the case fairly._
2. In or into a position at one side that leaves the way clear.
   - Simple: Off to one side, so that something is out of the way.
   - _The usher waved the crowd aside to clear a path for the stretcher._
   - _Move those chairs aside so we can set up the stage._
3. Held in reserve to be used later or for a specific purpose, mostly after the verbs put, set, and lay.
   - Simple: Saved to use later or for one special reason, as in "put money aside".
   - _The city council set aside two million dollars for road repairs next year._
   - _By October they had laid aside enough firewood to last the whole winter._

## Noun

4. A minor related remark, dropped in almost as an afterthought.
   - Simple: A small extra comment added to the main point, almost as an afterthought.
   - _The report notes, almost as an aside, that funding has since doubled._
   - _He delivered several asides about local history during the walking tour._
5. A passing remark made quietly to the person beside you, meant only for them to hear though not strictly private.
   - Simple: A quiet remark said to the person next to you, not meant for everyone to hear.
   - _During the ceremony she leaned over and whispered an aside to her colleague._
   - _His dry asides kept the back row entertained throughout the meeting._
6. A brief remark a character speaks to the audience, not heard by the other characters on stage.
   - Simple: In a play, words a character speaks to the audience that the other characters do not hear.
   - _Shakespeare often gives Iago asides that reveal his true intentions to the audience._
   - _The actor stepped downstage to deliver an aside before resuming the scene._

## Other meanings

- (adjective) Lacking perfect symmetry and bent or twisted to one side, used especially of the human body.

## Origin

Old English on sīdan, literally "on (the) side (of)," became Middle English on side and then aside (also spelled asyde or a-side); in form it amounts to a- plus side. Compare beside.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/aside (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).