sidebar

noun

side·​bar ˈsīd-ˌbär How to pronounce sidebar (audio)
1
a
: a short news story or graphic accompanying and presenting sidelights of a major story
b
: something incidental : sidelight
a sidebar to the essay's central theme
2
: a conference between the judge, the lawyers, and sometimes the parties to a case that the jury does not hear

Examples of sidebar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Tool bar now has a uniform menu, the sidebars expand to the very edge of the window and the icons within the sidebars have color once again. — Luke Larsen, Wired News, 9 June 2026 The company added some dedicated content categories to its sidebar over the years, but largely kept the homescreen a bare list of app icons. — Janko Roettgers, The Verge, 28 May 2026 Iron Boy premiered in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard sidebar, where it was picked up by Sony Pictures Classics. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 27 June 2026 Instead of forcing users into a loud chat sidebar to ask for recommendations, the app uses AI to examine your favorite songs, genres, artists — as well as listeners with similar tastes. — Vinay Kuruvila, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for sidebar

Word History

First Known Use

1928, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of sidebar was in 1928

Rhymes for sidebar

See All Rhymes for sidebar

Browse Nearby Words

side-band transmission
sidebar
side-bar keel
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sidebar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sidebar. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Legal Definition

sidebar

noun
side·​bar ˈsīd-ˌbär How to pronounce sidebar (audio)
: sidebar conference
had failed to request a sidebar before injecting the collateral offense into the trial—Dockery v. State, 659 So. 2d 219 (1994)
also : the place near or before the bench where a sidebar conference takes place
the judge informed both attorneys…that they…could stand at sidebar while questions were posed —Commonwealth v. Urena, 632 N.E.2d 1200 (1994)
compare bench, stand
sidebar adjective
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