Beside the point is a common idiom that means “unimportant” or “not relevant to the matter at hand”. Many people incorrectly use besides the point, which is understandable since both besides and beside the point can crop up when a topic is being argued or reasoned through. He did steal the diamond, but that is besides the ...

Definition of beside the point as in irrelevant not having anything to do with the matter at hand I know your car broke down but that's beside the point, since you're late every single day, car trouble or not.

If you say that something is beside the point, you mean that it is not relevant to the subject that you are discussing. Brian didn't like it, but that was beside the point. Synonyms: irrelevant, inappropriate, pointless, peripheral More Synonyms of beside the point

Technically, besides the point means "in addition to or aside from the point," while idiomatically beside the point means "irrelevant." (Logically, beside the point would seem to mean "next to the point," but that's the surprising world of idioms for you.) – Sven Yargs

beside the point Also, beside the mark or question. Irrelevant, off the subject. For example, Whether you had insurance is beside the point; the accident is your fault. These terms came into common use in the mid-1800s.