sidebar

IPA/ˈsaɪdbɑː(r)/
KK[sˈaɪdbˌɑr]IPA/ˈsaɪdbɑːr/

sidebar — noun

  • sidebarsingular
  • sidebarsplural

1. A separate, often boxed area on a printed page in a newspaper, magazine, or jour

1.nounB2
Definition

A separate, often boxed area on a printed page in a newspaper, magazine, or journal that contains a shorter, related story or additional facts alongside a main article.

Example

The newspaper's sidebar about the mayor's early career appeared beside the main election story.

sidebar about [topic] — prepositional modifier in publishing

Talia read the sidebar on page three, which listed all the winners from the awards ceremony.

Common collocations
  • sidebar article
  • sidebar story
  • sidebar box
  • sidebar feature
Synonyms
  • box

    more general; a sidebar is a type of boxed item, but 'box' can also refer to standalone shapes

  • panel

    common in magazine design; implies a distinct visual section, not necessarily a short article

Grammar Patterns

a/the sidebar

sidebar + noun (modifier)

sidebar about + topic

sidebar on + topic

Usage Note

In newspaper and magazine editing, the sidebar is typically enclosed by a border or shaded background to separate it visually from the main article.

Common Mistakes

The sidebar appeared at the top of the magazine page.
The sidebar appeared on the side of the magazine page.
A sidebar runs vertically beside the main article, not across the top.

2. A narrow column or panel found along the right or left side of a webpage, used t

2.nounB1
Definition

A narrow column or panel found along the right or left side of a webpage, used to display navigation links, advertisements, or supplementary content.

Example

Ayana clicked the sidebar link to open the store's weekly promotion page.

clicked the sidebar link — common user-action pattern

The website's sidebar displayed popular articles and a search bar at the top.

sidebar displayed [content] — typical verb collocation for web

Common collocations
  • sidebar menu
  • sidebar widget
  • sidebar link
  • sidebar panel
Synonyms
  • side panel

    interchangeable in web design, but less frequent in general usage

  • widget area

    a more technical term used in content-management systems; narrower in meaning

Grammar Patterns

a/the sidebar

sidebar + noun (modifier)

in the sidebar

on the sidebar

Usage Note

Also referred to as a 'side panel' in web-design contexts. A sidebar is usually positioned vertically along the left or right edge of the layout, not at the top or bottom.

Common Mistakes

I put the menu on the sidebar of my blog.
I put the menu in the sidebar of my blog.
Items are placed 'in' the sidebar area, not 'on' it.

3. A meeting at the bench during a trial where the presiding judge speaks with the

3.nounC1
Definition

A meeting at the bench during a trial where the presiding judge speaks with the attorneys for both sides, held away from the jury so that certain legal questions can be resolved without influencing them.

Example

The defence lawyer requested a sidebar to discuss a witness's statement without the jury hearing.

requested a sidebar — legal procedural collocation

Bilal watched the judge and both attorneys gather at the sidebar for a whispered conference.

Common collocations
  • sidebar conference
  • sidebar discussion
  • sidebar hearing
  • request a sidebar
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

a sidebar

at the sidebar

request a sidebar

sidebar conference

Usage Note

A term specific to US and some common-law court procedures. The sidebar enables the judge and lawyers to resolve legal questions without the jury overhearing potentially prejudicial information.

Common Mistakes

The lawyer asked the judge for a sidebar meeting in his office.
The lawyer requested a sidebar at the bench during the trial.
A sidebar occurs in the courtroom, at the judge's bench, during the trial.

4. A programme of films, performances, talks, or other activities that run alongsid

4.nounB2
Definition

A programme of films, performances, talks, or other activities that run alongside a main festival event, giving attendees additional choices beyond the primary schedule.

Example

The film festival's sidebar on Southeast Asian cinema drew a surprisingly large audience.

sidebar on [topic] — common festival programme pattern

Ingrid spent the afternoon at a sidebar concert while the main stage was being prepared.

Common collocations
  • sidebar programme
  • sidebar event
  • sidebar screening
  • sidebar workshop
  • sidebar talk
Synonyms
  • side programme

    less common but synonymous; used interchangeably in festival contexts

  • parallel programme

    implies events running at the same time as the main programme, not necessarily less important

Grammar Patterns

a/the sidebar

sidebar + noun (modifier)

sidebar on + topic

Usage Note

Commonly used for film festivals, where a sidebar can focus on a specific genre, director, or regional cinema. The term 'sidebar programme' is a standard collocation in festival catalogues.

5. An observation, comment, or subject that is connected to the main topic of conve

5.nounC1
Definition

An observation, comment, or subject that is connected to the main topic of conversation or writing but is treated as a secondary or digressive element.

Example

During the meeting, an interesting sidebar about customer feedback took most of the afternoon.

interesting sidebar — modifier showing incidental nature of topic

The professor mentioned ancient Rome as a sidebar, but Sofia wanted to hear more details.

Common collocations
  • sidebar comment
  • interesting sidebar
  • as a sidebar
  • just a sidebar
Synonyms
  • aside

    suggests a deliberate, brief interruption; more common in dramatic or theatrical contexts

  • digression

    stronger implication of straying off topic; more formal in tone

Antonyms
  • main point

    the central subject that the sidebar deviates from

Grammar Patterns

a sidebar

as a sidebar

sidebar on/about + topic

Usage Note

This sense is informal and often appears in conversational contexts. Typical constructions include 'as a sidebar' (prepositional phrase) and 'just a sidebar' (dismissive phrasing).

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

On a webpage, a 'sidebar' is a narrow vertical column — typically on the left or right — that groups links, ads, or supplementary content. A 'panel' is a broader term for any distinct rectangular section on a screen; a sidebar is one kind of panel, but panels can also appear as pop-ups, accordion menus, or full-page overlays. A 'widget' is a specific, self-contained module (a weather display, a search box, a calendar) that often lives inside a sidebar, whereas the sidebar itself is the container. A 'navigation bar' (or 'navbar') is usually a horizontal strip across the top of a page dedicated to site-wide menus, distinct from a sidebar's secondary role. In practice, a blog might have a sidebar containing a search widget, a tag cloud, and recent posts, while the navigation bar at the top handles the main menu.

sidebar ↗panel ↗widget ↗navigation bar

Common collocations

Nouns

  • sidebar area
  • sidebar section
  • sidebar content

Prepositions

  • in the sidebar
  • on the sidebar
  • at the sidebar

Etymology

Old EnglishOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'sidebar' is a compound of 'side' (from Old English 'sīde', meaning flank or edge) and 'bar' (from Old French 'barre', meaning a rod or barrier). It first appeared in early 20th-century American publishing, where a short, boxed article was placed to the side of a main story, like a physical bar running alongside it. The term moved into US legal procedure in the mid-1900s to describe private judge-lawyer conferences held at the side of the bench, and later into computing with the rise of graphical user interfaces in the 1980s and 1990s.