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Synonyms

box office

1 American  

noun

  1. the office of a theater, stadium, or the like, at which tickets are sold.

  2. Theater.

    1. receipts from a play or other entertainment.

    2. entertainment popular enough to attract paying audiences and make a profit.

      This show will be good box office.
box-office 2 American  
[boks-aw-fis, -of-is] / ˈbɒksˌɔ fɪs, -ˌɒf ɪs /

adjective

  1. of or relating to the box office or to the business and commercial aspects of the theater.

    a box-office window; box-office receipts; a box-office attraction.
box office British  

noun

  1. an office at a theatre, cinema, etc, where tickets are sold

  2. the receipts from a play, film, etc

    1. the public appeal of an actor or production

      the musical was bad box office

    2. ( as modifier )

      a box-office success
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
box office Idioms  

  1. The office where seats for a play, concert, or other form of entertainment may be purchased, as in Tickets are available at the box office . It is so called because originally (17th century) it was the place for hiring a box, a special compartment of theater seats set aside for ladies. [Second half of 1700s]

  2. The financial receipts from a performance; also, a show's relative success in attracting a paying audience. For example, You may not consider it great art, but this play is good box office . [c. 1900]

Etymology

Origin of box office1

First recorded in 1780–90

Origin of box-office2

First recorded in 1805–15; adj. use of box office

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"We have wi-fi in the box office, wi-fi in the production office," she explains.

From BBC

It is not about the box office wins that week.

From Los Angeles Times

None of the nominees had been major box office blockbusters, and in the case of “Crash” controversy had raged over several PGA-credited producers not being permitted to receive a statue.

From Los Angeles Times

“AMC is exceptionally well positioned to capitalize on a recovering box office,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal

The films in the main series have all set new box office records on release, and combined they have grossed more than £3 billion worldwide, as well as garnering critical acclaim.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.