out-of-pocket

1 of 2

adjective

out-of-pock·​et ˌau̇t-ə(v)-ˈpä-kət How to pronounce out-of-pocket (audio)
: requiring an outlay of cash
out-of-pocket expenses

out of pocket

2 of 2

adverb

1
: from cash on hand : with one's own money rather than with money from another source (such as an insurance company)
With so many people willing to pay out of pocket most insurance companies do not pay for the procedure, because they regard it as "cosmetic" …Kenneth Chang
2
chiefly British
a
: in the position of having lost money
On Oct. 7, the government suddenly pulled the plug on Railtrack PLC, the privatized owner of Britain's railway infrastructure, leaving the company's 250,000 shareholders out of pocket.Kerry Capell
b
: out of funds : without money
My wife and I are already consumers of Straus's organic yogurt, butter, cream and ice cream, although I admit when I am feeling out of pocket I opt for a slightly cheaper competitor.Larry Gallagher

Examples of out-of-pocket in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Administration officials have tried to deflect attention from rising premiums and restricted coverage, pointing out that an entirely separate provision of the IRA, drug price controls, will supposedly save beneficiaries $1.5 billion out-of-pocket in 2026. Tomas J. Philipson, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2024 The Biden Administration recently announced the first round of negotiations, which is expected to reduce out-of-pocket costs for seniors by $1.5 billion when the lower prices take effect in 2026 and result in $6 billion in savings for Medicare. Nik Popli, TIME, 23 Oct. 2024
Adverb
Seniors on Medicare will pay no more than $35 per month out of pocket, thanks to a provision in the Inflation Reduction Act that went into effect Jan. 1. Berkeley Lovelace Jr., NBC News, 14 Mar. 2023 Biden will also propose benefit changes that includes limiting to $2 how much a Medicare recipient must pay out of pocket for certain generic drugs. Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 9 Mar. 2023 See all Example Sentences for out-of-pocket 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'out-of-pocket.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1885, in the meaning defined above

Adverb

1679, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Time Traveler
The first known use of out-of-pocket was in 1679

Dictionary Entries Near out-of-pocket

out of order

out-of-pocket

out of pocket

Cite this Entry

“Out-of-pocket.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/out-of-pocket. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Legal Definition

out-of-pocket

adjective
: requiring an outlay of cash
out-of-pocket expenses
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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