Basic+ Word of the Day: aside

aside (adverb)

"We set aside a few dollars each week for a new car."

Aside means ‘on or to one side.’

• "Put your books aside; we're going out to dinner."

Aside also means ‘in a separate, private space.’

• Ron took her aside and told her that she had spinach in her teeth.

Common uses

set aside: to put in reserve or to save. Example: “My parents set aside a little money from each paycheck so that we could take a summer vacation.”

Related words

A theatrical aside occurs when one of the actors in a play speaks directly to the audience. The other actors are not aware of what is said in the aside. Watch this video for an example.

In pop culture

Step aside means ‘get out of my way.’ Listen to Faron Young sing this old country song, “Step Aside.” Who is he telling to step aside?

There are other meanings of aside.