box office

¹

noun

1. the office of a theater, stadium, or the like, at which tickets are sold.

2. Theater.

   1. receipts from a play or other entertainment.

   2. entertainment popular enough to attract paying audiences and make a profit.

      This show will be good box office.

box-office

²

[boks-aw-fis, -of-is]

adjective

1. of or relating to the box office or to the business and commercial aspects of the theater.

   a box-office window; box-office receipts; a box-office attraction.

box office

noun

1. an office at a theatre, cinema, etc, where tickets are sold

2. the receipts from a play, film, etc

3. 1. the public appeal of an actor or production

      the musical was bad box office

   2. ( as modifier )

      a box-office success

Word History and Origins

Origin of box office¹

First recorded in 1780–90

Origin of box office²

First recorded in 1805–15; adj. use of box office

Idioms and Phrases

The office where seats for a play, concert, or other form of entertainment may be purchased, as in Tickets are available at the box office . It is so called because originally (17th century) it was the place for hiring a box, a special compartment of theater seats set aside for ladies. [Second half of 1700s]

The financial receipts from a performance; also, a show's relative success in attracting a paying audience. For example, You may not consider it great art, but this play is good box office . [c. 1900]

Example Sentences

The box office success comes as no surprise, “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” brought in $96 million in 2023 in its first four days in theaters and became the highest-grossing concert film of all time.

From Los Angeles Times

The lead voice actor in global box office smash Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle says he's been "blown away" by the anime film's success.

From BBC

His latest film, “One Battle After Another,” landed in the top spot at the box office this weekend, hauling in $22.4 million in the U.S. and Canada.

From Los Angeles Times

The carefully curated communal experience offered by repertory theaters is enduring the hardships of the box office, even after the pandemic, which led to the demise of some well-known cinemas.

From Los Angeles Times

And yet, Ryan Coogler's Sinners is just the kind of film that gives Hollywood hope in an era of low morale - an original idea and box office smash at the same time.

From BBC

Related Words

• gate