inbox

noun

in·​box ˈin-ˌbäks 

variants or in-box

plural inboxes or in-boxes

1

: a box or tray (as on a desk) for holding incoming interoffice mail

2

: a computer folder devoted to incoming email

One of my favorite rituals soon became scanning our email inbox, looking for your photographs … and reading the letters you sent …

—Amy Virshup

Examples of inbox in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The answer is probably already sitting in your inbox or your support data. — Dave Etling, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026

If you’re not subscribed to the newsletter, head here to sign up, and check your inbox each week for the latest Windows updates from me. — Chris Hoffman, PC Magazine, 9 Sep. 2026

When a company that builds fire trucks, rail-maintenance machinery, or electric vehicle chargers is invited to bid on a big contract, the request that lands in its inbox can run to thousands of pages of technical specifications. — Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2026

Sign up to get expert tips on the best of Southern California's beaches, trails, parks, deserts, forests and mountains in your inbox every Thursday. — Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1958, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

in-box

noun

ˈin-ˌbäks 

: a receptacle for incoming letters between offices in an organization

also : a computer folder for incoming email