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

Relatedly, as the film's release on June 26 rapidly approaches, there's new box office tracking data out. —Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 23 June 2026

Since the first film was released in 1995, the franchise has driven $16 billion in revenue to Disney, which bought Pixar in 2006, thanks in part to retail sales for consumer products, games, and publishing, which add to the franchise’s massive box office receipts. —Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 22 June 2026

Toy Story 4 made more then a billion dollars at the global box office and was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. —Justin Kroll, Deadline, 22 June 2026

Despite positive reviews, the movie was a box office dud with $10 million against a $16 million budget. —Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 22 June 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