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

Though it had strong reviews and an exciting young cast, it failed to catch on with broader audiences, only bringing in around $1 million at the box office.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 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 last movie of the night is playing, so the box office is empty.

From "Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher

Related Words

• gate