What does sidebar mean?
A sidebar is a narrow column or panel placed alongside the main content of a page, website, document, or application. In print, it may contain notes, captions, references, or other information that supplements the principal text. On websites and in software interfaces, sidebars commonly provide navigation menus, related links, advertisements, filters, or tool controls. The word describes both the physical arrangement and the content-bearing section itself. Because a sidebar is visually subordinate to the central content, it usually presents information designed to be useful without demanding primary attention. It is now especially associated with digital media and interface design, where it helps organize supplementary material while keeping the main viewing area clear.
nounA vertical strip of content positioned along one side of a page, screen, or website. In digital design, it commonly contains navigation links, related articles, advertisements, or supplementary information.
- A vertical column or panel running along the side of a printed page, document, or display.
- A supplementary or navigational section positioned along the side of a webpage or application interface.
"The website's sidebar displays links to its most popular articles."
"The article's sidebar summarizes the main points in a separate column."
"She adjusted the settings using the options in the application's sidebar."
Used when referring to multiple side sections, as in a website with different sidebars for news, sports, and weather.
"The redesign includes sidebars for navigation, newsletters, and related stories."
A sidebar is the narrow companion to the main event: it guides, supplements, or sells alongside a page's central content.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sidebar come from?
The word combines side and bar, two English words with Germanic origins. It developed in the nineteenth century for a narrow column or section running down the side of a printed page. By the late twentieth century, the same term was widely applied to side columns and navigation areas on websites and software interfaces.
Related word forms
How sidebar is actually used
The term is especially common in digital publishing, web design, and software interfaces. It is generally used for a distinct, narrow section rather than for any object located at the side.
Easily confused with sidebar
A sidebar is usually one integrated column within a page or interface, whereas a side bar can refer more generally to a bar, rail, or section positioned at the side.