Meaning & use
Sidelight
Last updated
A small light on the side of a vehicle or building, or a minor, incidental piece of information that adds insight into a subject.
See it in a sentence
The car's sidelight flickered before the mechanic replaced the bulb.
The biography offers fascinating sidelights on the author's early career.
A note on using this word
The figurative sense—an incidental fact that illuminates a larger topic—plays on the literal image of light shining in from the side.
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Sidelight”, then compare your use with the examples above.
Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.