Aside — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adverb noun preposition /ə-ˈsīd/

Meaning & Definition of Aside

Aside (adverb)

  1. to or toward the side
  2. away from others or into privacy
  3. out of the way especially for future use, away

Aside (noun)

  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

Aside (preposition)

  1. beyond, past

Aside (adverb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in elsewhere, apart

    similar: apart, elsewhere, away, down, fro, hence, off, out, abroad, afar, afield, astray

Aside (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a departure from the subject under consideration

    "as an aside, something similar happened to me years ago"

    similar: digression, divagation, excursion, tangent
    related: excursus, parenthesis, rambling, circuitousness, circularity, circumlocution, diffuseness, prolixity, verbosity, windiness, wordiness

Related Entry: Aside from (preposition)

Aside from is a different word from Aside. The synonyms below are for aside from, not for aside.

  1. not including

    "aside from the C in geometry, he made all A's this term"

    similar: apart from, bar, barring, beside, besides, but, except, except for, excluding, exclusive of, other than, outside, outside of, save, saving

Related Entry: Step aside (from) (verb)

Step aside (from) is a different word from Aside. The synonyms below are for step aside (from), not for aside.

  1. to give up (a job or office)

    "a newscaster who knew when it was time to step aside from the anchor desk and let a younger person take over"

    similar: bag, chuck, leave, quit, resign (from), retire (from), step down (from), give notice
    related: abandon, vacate, drop out (of), throw up
    opposite: keep, stay (at)
    near: hire (out), join, sign on (for)

  2. to give up (as a position of authority) formally

    "the prime minister was compelled to step aside from his office when it was demonstrated that he had violated the public trust"

    similar: abdicate, abnegate, cede, relinquish, renounce, resign, step down (from), surrender
    related: abjure, demit, deny, disavow, disclaim, disown, waive, forsake, give up, hand over, yield, abandon, desert, quit, vacate
    near: appropriate, arrogate, assume, claim, confiscate, seize, take over, usurp, wrest, defend, guard, protect, safeguard, secure

Related Entry: Set aside (phrase)

Set aside is a different word from Aside. The synonyms below are for set aside, not for aside.

  1. to keep or intend for a special purpose

    "He set aside $100 a month for a down payment on a car."

    similar: allocate, consecrate, dedicate, devote, earmark, give up (to), reserve, save, set by, set apart
    related: bless, hallow, sanctify, commit, confide, consign, entrust, apply, bestow, employ, use
    near: ignore, neglect, misapply, misuse

  2. to put an end to by formal action

    "The company set aside the old strict dress code and allowed employees to dress a little more casually."

    similar: abate, abolish, abrogate, annul, avoid, cancel, disannul, dissolve, invalidate, negate, null, nullify, quash, repeal, rescind, roll back, strike down, vacate, void, do away with
    related: countermand, override, overrule, overturn, veto, abort, call, call off, drop, recall, retract, reverse, revoke, suspend, withdraw, ban, enjoin, forbid, outlaw, prohibit, disallow, dismiss, reject, annihilate, break down, eliminate, eradicate, erase, liquidate, remove, throw out, write off
    near: enact, lay down, legislate, establish, found, institute, formalize, legalize, legitimate, legitimize, validate, pass, ratify, allow, approve, authorize, clear, endorse, permit, sanction, warrant, command, decree, mandate, order, prescribe

  3. to get rid of as useless or unwanted

    "The professional organizer helped us set aside anything we didn't need or want anymore."

    similar: cashier, cast (off), chuck, deep-six, discard, ditch, dump, eighty-six, exorcise, fling (off or away), jettison, junk, lay by, lose, pitch, reject, scrap, shed, shuck (off), slough (off), throw away, throw out, toss, unload, dispose of
    related: abandon, abdicate, desert, forsake, dismiss, kick out, abolish, annihilate, eliminate, eradicate, expunge, exterminate, extinguish, extirpate, liquidate, remove, root (out), stamp (out), wipe out
    near: adopt, embrace, take on, employ, use, utilize, hold, hold back, keep, retain

  4. to put (something of future use or value) in a safe or secret place

    "She set aside her wedding dress in case her own daughter might want to wear it some day."

    similar: cache, hoard, lay away, lay by, lay in, lay up, put by, salt away, squirrel (away), stash, stockpile, store, stow, treasure
    related: accumulate, acquire, amass, assemble, collect, concentrate, garner, gather, pick up, round up, scrape (together), heap, pile, stack, conserve, husband, preserve, bank, coffer, deposit, hold, keep, reserve, retain, save, set by, stock, withhold, bury, conceal, ensconce, secrete
    near: cast, discard, ditch, dump, fling (off or away), jettison, throw away, throw out, unload, consume, squander, use up, waste, hand out, hand over, relinquish, surrender, blow, dissipate, fritter (away), lavish, misspend, run through, spend, deplete, exhaust, expend, impoverish, dispel, disperse, scatter

Related Entry: Put aside (verb)

Put aside is a different word from Aside. The synonyms below are for put aside, not for aside.

  1. as in dismantle, phase out

    similar: dismantle, mothball, phase out, deactivate, kill, shut off, turn off, flick (off), arrest, brake, chock, cut off, draw up, halt, jam, stall, stick
    opposite: charge, electrify, energize, fire, fuel, generate, power, push, discharge, launch, release, switch, trip, reactivate, recharge, activate, actuate, crank (up), drive, move, propel, run, set off, spark, start, touch off, trigger, turn on

Related Entry: Puts aside (verb)

Puts aside is a different word from Aside. The synonyms below are for puts aside, not for aside.

  1. as in dismantles, phases out

    similar: dismantles, mothballs, phases out, deactivates, kills, shuts off, turns off, flicks (off), arrests, brakes, chocks, cuts off, draws up, halts, jams, stalls, sticks
    opposite: charges, electrifies, energizes, fires, fuels, generates, powers, pushes, discharges, launches, releases, switches, trips, reactivates, recharges, activates, actuates, cranks (up), drives, moves, propels, runs, sets off, sparks, starts, touches off, triggers, turns on

Related Entry: Putting aside (verb)

Putting aside is a different word from Aside. The synonyms below are for putting aside, not for aside.

  1. as in dismantling, phasing out

    similar: dismantling, mothballing, phasing out, deactivating, killing, shutting off, turning off, flicking (off), arresting, braking, chocking, cutting off, drawing up, halting, jamming, stalling, sticking
    opposite: charging, electrifying, energizing, firing, fueling, generating, powering, pushing, discharging, launching, releasing, switching, tripping, reactivating, recharging, activating, actuating, cranking (up), driving, moving, propelling, running, setting off, sparking, starting, touching off, triggering, turning on

Related Entry: Set-aside (noun)

Set-aside is a different word from Aside. The synonyms below are for set-aside, not for aside.

  1. as in assistance, aid

    similar: aid, assistance, block grant, grant-in-aid, allocation, allotment, annuity, appropriation, entitlement, grant, subsidy, subvention, foreign aid, relief, state aid, advance, allowance, benefit, bequest, endowment, fund, legacy, stipend, trust, trust fund

Related Entry: Sets aside (phrase)

Sets aside is a different word from Aside. The synonyms below are for sets aside, not for aside.

  1. to keep or intend for a special purpose

    "He set aside $100 a month for a down payment on a car."

    similar: allocates, consecrates, dedicates, devotes, earmarks, gives up (to), reserves, saves, sets by, sets apart
    related: blesses, hallows, sanctifies, commits, confides, consigns, entrusts, applies, bestows, employs, uses
    near: ignores, neglects, misapplies, misuses

  2. to put an end to by formal action

    "The company set aside the old strict dress code and allowed employees to dress a little more casually."

    similar: abates, abolishes, abrogates, annuls, avoids, cancels, disannuls, dissolves, invalidates, negates, nullifies, nulls, quashes, repeals, rescinds, rolls back, strikes down, vacates, voids, does away with
    related: countermands, overrides, overrules, overturns, vetoes, aborts, calls, calls off, drops, recalls, retracts, reverses, revokes, suspends, withdraws, bans, enjoins, forbids, outlaws, prohibits, disallows, dismisses, rejects, annihilates, breaks down, eliminates, eradicates, erases, liquidates, removes, throws out, writes off
    near: enacts, lays down, legislates, establishes, founds, institutes, formalizes, legalizes, legitimates, legitimizes, validates, passes, ratifies, allows, approves, authorizes, clears, endorses, permits, sanctions, warrants, commands, decrees, mandates, orders, prescribes

  3. to get rid of as useless or unwanted

    "The professional organizer helped us set aside anything we didn't need or want anymore."

    similar: cashiers, casts (off), chucks, deep-sixes, discards, ditches, dumps, eighty-sixes, exorcises, flings (off or away), jettisons, junks, lays by, loses, pitches, rejects, scraps, sheds, shucks (off), sloughs (off), throws away, throws out, tosses, unloads, disposes of
    related: abandons, abdicates, deserts, forsakes, dismisses, kicks out, abolishes, annihilates, eliminates, eradicates, expunges, exterminates, extinguishes, extirpates, liquidates, removes, roots (out), stamps (out), wipes out
    near: adopts, embraces, takes on, employs, uses, utilizes, holds, holds back, keeps, retains

  4. to put (something of future use or value) in a safe or secret place

    "She set aside her wedding dress in case her own daughter might want to wear it some day."

    similar: caches, hoards, lays away, lays by, lays in, lays up, puts by, salts away, squirrels (away), stashes, stockpiles, stores, stows, treasures
    related: accumulates, acquires, amasses, assembles, collects, concentrates, garners, gathers, picks up, rounds up, scrapes (together), heaps, piles, stacks, conserves, husbands, preserves, banks, coffers, deposits, holds, keeps, reserves, retains, saves, sets by, stocks, withholds, buries, conceals, ensconces, secretes
    near: casts, discards, ditches, dumps, flings (off or away), jettisons, throws away, throws out, unloads, consumes, squanders, uses up, wastes, hands out, hands over, relinquishes, surrenders, blows, dissipates, fritters (away), lavishes, misspends, runs through, spends, depletes, exhausts, expends, impoverishes, dispels, disperses, scatters

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Aside

The most common words with a similar meaning to Aside:

apart, elsewhere, away, down, fro, hence, off, out, abroad, afar, afield, astray, digression, divagation, excursion, tangent

Related Words for Aside

excursus, parenthesis, rambling, circuitousness, circularity, circumlocution, diffuseness, prolixity, verbosity, windiness, wordiness

Origin & Etymology of Aside

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Aside

Words & Phrases Containing Aside

aside from, set aside, set-aside, stand aside, step aside, brush aside, cast aside

Frequently Asked Questions about Aside

What does "Aside" mean?

"Aside" means to or toward the side. As an an adverb, a noun and a preposition, it is defined as: to or toward the side. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Aside"?

Other words for "Aside" include apart, elsewhere, away, down, fro, hence, off and out. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Aside" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Aside"?

There are 27 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Aside". Common alternatives include apart, elsewhere, away, down, fro, hence, off, out, abroad and afar.

How do you use "Aside" in a sentence?

Examples of "Aside" in a sentence: "as an aside, something similar happened to me years ago".

Is "Aside" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Aside" can be used as an adverb, a noun and a preposition, depending on the context.

Is "Aside" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B2-level word, "Aside" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+.

How do you pronounce "Aside"?

"Aside" is pronounced /ə-ˈsīd/.

What is the origin of the word "Aside"?

First known use: 14th century.