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

It will also see the comeback of Rick Moranis, who was one of the biggest box office stars of the 1980s and 90s but hasn't appeared in a live-action film for three decades.

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026

Amazon is raking in cash at the box office after sending Ryan Gosling to space with “Project Hail Mary.”

From MarketWatch • Apr. 15, 2026

As a result, the analyst believes Cineplex could be set to deliver its strongest annual box office results since 2019.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

Sony Pictures Entertainment's presentation marked the start of CinemaCon, which this year focuses on optimism over the year's strong start at the box office.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

He’d missed his shift entirely, and her sister, Molly, had to cover for him in the box office.

From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny

Related Words

• gate