Beside the point Meaning in English

expression

US

ˌbiˈsaɪd/, /bɪˈsaɪd/ /ˈðə/, /ðə/, /ði/ /ˈpɔɪnt

bih-SIDE thuh POINT

UK

bɪsˈaɪd/ /ðə, ði/ /pˈɔɪnt

bih-SIDE thuh POINT

Definition

If something is 'beside the point', it is not relevant or important to the main topic being discussed.

Usage & Nuances

Informal expression. Often used to dismiss arguments or facts that are not directly related to the current topic. Avoid in formal writing; use 'irrelevant' or 'not pertinent' instead. Similar to 'off topic'.

• Spanish: no viene al caso - es irrelevante
• Portuguese (BR): não vem ao caso - irrelevante
• Portuguese (PT): não vem ao caso - irrelevante
• Chinese (Simplified): 无关紧要 - 不相干
• Chinese (Traditional): 無關緊要 - 不相關
• Hindi: मुद्दे की बात नहीं - अप्रासंगिक
• Arabic: ليس له علاقة بالموضوع - غير مهم
• Bengali: মূল প্রসঙ্গের বাইরে - অপ্রাসঙ্গিক
• Russian: к делу не относится - не по теме
• Japanese: 本題とは関係ない - 論点がずれている
• Vietnamese: không liên quan - ngoài lề
• Korean: 핵심과 무관하다 - 논점에서 벗어나다
• Turkish: konuyla ilgisi yok - alakasız
• Urdu: غیر متعلق - موضوع سے ہٹ کر
• Indonesian: tidak relevan - di luar topik

Example Sentences

His comment was beside the point.

basic

Whether it rains tomorrow is beside the point.

basic

That's beside the point; let's focus on the problem.

basic

I know you want a snack, but that's beside the point right now.

natural

We all make mistakes, but that's beside the point—how do we fix this?

natural

Your age is beside the point, anyone can learn to code.

natural