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

The film, which carries awards season aspirations, collected $6 million in its opening frame, marking the lowest box office debut in Johnson’s career. —Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2025

The film placed sixth on the global box office chart. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 6 Oct. 2025

In an unprecedented win for a theatrical release announced just two weeks ago, the album debut event from American pop superstar Taylor Swift topped the domestic box office with about $33 million domestically. —Auzinea Bacon, CNN Money, 5 Oct. 2025

Taylor Swift won this weekend’s box office battle, but One Battle After Another is winning the war with its budget. —Bethy Squires, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2025

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