box office

¹ American  

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.

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box-office ² American  

[boks-aw-fis, -of-is] / ˈbɒksˌɔ fɪs, -ˌɒf ɪs /

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.

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box office British  

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

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box office Idioms  

1. 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]

2. 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]

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Etymology

Origin of box office¹

First recorded in 1780–90

Origin of box-office²

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

Example Sentences

The film, co-financed by Wayfarer and distributed by Sony Pictures, grossed more than $350 million at the worldwide box office.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

Hollywood is hoping that Comcast-owned Universal Pictures’ The Super Mario Galaxy Movie opening today can replicate the box office success of the 2023 Super Mario movie.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

In comparison, the domestic box office take for “One Battle After Another,” the Oscar winner for best picture, topped out at just under $73 million.

From Salon • Mar. 29, 2026

The Ryan Gosling-led “Project Hail Mary” rocketed to the top of the box office this weekend, marking a big win for Amazon MGM Studios.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 22, 2026

It was just a second, and he shot her an awkward smile, before turning back to the small line that had developed on the sidewalk beyond the box office window.

From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny

Related Words

• gate