out-of-pocket
adjective
paid out in cash or from one's own financial resources and sometimes reimbursed.
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out-of-pocket
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out of pocket
out of pocketadjective(postpositive) having lost money, as in a commercial enterprise
out-of-pocket
American
[out-uhv-pok-it]
/ ˈaʊt əvˈpɒk ɪt /
adjective
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paid out in cash or from one's own financial resources and sometimes reimbursed.
My out-of-pocket travel expenses included taking business clients to dinner.
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without funds or assets.
an out-of-pocket student who stayed with us.
out of pocket
British
adjective
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(postpositive) having lost money, as in a commercial enterprise
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without money to spend
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(prenominal) (of expenses) unbudgeted and paid for in cash
out of pocket
Idioms
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Lacking money; also, having suffered a financial loss, as in We can't go; I'm out of pocket right now . William Congreve had it in The Old Bachelor (1693): “But egad, I'm a little out of pocket at present.” [Late 1600s]
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Referring to actual money spent, as in I had to pay the hotel bill out of pocket, but I know I'll be reimbursed . This expression sometimes occurs as a hyphenated adjective mainly in the phrase out-of-pocket expenses , as in My out-of-pocket expenses for business travel amounted to more than a thousand dollars . [Late 1800s]
Etymology
Origin of out-of-pocket
First recorded in 1880–85
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“The brands that treat this as a brand-building opportunity, not another awareness push, are the ones that will pull ahead in the out-of-pocket era.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
But that wouldn’t work very well, because of gaps in that program — it doesn’t cover dental or vision care and has no out-of-pocket cap.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
Medicare Advantage’s benefits can include no monthly premiums, out-of-pocket maximums, dental and vision coverage and gym memberships.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026
In the Moneyist reader’s utopia, everyone has an out-of-pocket cap that depends on their income, and health insurance covers the genuinely catastrophic expenses above that ceiling.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
The services of the members of council and executive are given gratuitously, no out-of-pocket expenses of any kind being refunded.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 4 "Finland" to "Fleury, Andre" by Various
Be prepared to pay out of pocket: With most pet insurance, you pay the vet before seeking reimbursement from your insurer.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
They pay about $90 out of pocket for annual checkups for both dogs and have peace of mind knowing they have a dedicated emergency fund should they need it.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
It means their holiday to Slovenia has been cancelled and - although their flight was refunded by British Airways - they estimate being left £1,300 out of pocket from unused accommodation and excursions.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
Thompson spent months asking for clarity about the added charges—and disputing some—and eventually wound up paying about $6,000 out of pocket.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 2026
Added to the two pennies Maybeth and James had picked up earlier, Dicey figured that they were only twenty-one cents out of pocket for food.
From "Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
