box office

noun

1

a

: an office (as in a theater) where tickets of admission are sold

b

: income from ticket sales (as for a film)

2

: the ability (as of a show) to attract ticket buyers

also : something that enhances that ability

any publicity is good box office

Examples of box office in a Sentence

The box office will open at 10:00 a.m.

Recent Examples on the Web

Broadway‘s Ragtime went out on a huge note Sunday, breaking its own box office record to become the highest grossing Broadway show in the history of Lincoln Center Theater. — Greg Evans, Deadline, 18 Aug. 2026

After Supergirl was a critical and box office bomb this summer, James Gunn and the DCU really needed to change the narrative, and Lanterns has done precisely that almost instantly. — Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026

Combined with the stellar success of The Odyssey, the domestic box office is currently outperforming pre-pandemic numbers. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Aug. 2026

Boon, best known for writing, directing and starring in 2008 French box office smash Welcome to the Sticks, had a starring turn in Emmanuel Poulain-Arnaud’s dramedy Regarde, released in French theaters last year. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 17 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1741, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for box office

• interoffice

Kids Definition

box office

noun

: an office in a public place (as a theater or stadium) where admission tickets are sold