(law) a courtroom conference between the lawyers and the judge that is held out of the jury's hearing
"The defense attorney requested a sidebar to discuss potential conflicts before proceeding with opening statements in front of the jury."
a short news story presenting sidelights on a major story
"The newspaper included a sidebar detailing the personal lives of the politicians during their debate coverage."
A short news story printed alongside a larger one.
"The newspaper featured a sidebar about local weather patterns next to the main article on city council elections."
In plain English: A sidebar is an extra section on a webpage that shows related information next to the main content so you don't have to leave your current page.
"The discussion moved to a sidebar where they could talk privately without interrupting the main meeting."
Usage: A sidebar is a supplementary section of text placed beside the main content on a webpage or in a document. Use this term specifically for side columns that offer related information rather than general marginal notes.
to place (information) into a sidebar, or as if into a sidebar
"The editor decided to move the detailed statistics from the main article and put them aside in a sidebar."
In plain English: To sidebar something means to move it out of the main discussion so people can talk about other things instead.
"The editor suggested we sidebar that minor detail to focus on the main story first."
The word sidebar is a straightforward combination of the words side and bar. It was first used to describe an area located on the edge or margin of something else.