Phrase guide

out of the box

prep_phrase · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Australian: /æɔt əv ðə bɒks/
  • Australian: /æʊt əv ðə bɒks/
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Canada: /ʌʊt əv ðə bɑːks/
  • UK: /aʊt əv ðə bɒks/
  • Scotland: /ɘʉt əv ðə bɒks/
  • US: /aʊt əv ðə bɑːks/
  • rhymes with -ɒks

1

prep_phrase

Meaning 1

Of a product, immediately, without intervention from the customer.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: business, commerce, retail

Examples

  • This software has to work out of the box, without any fancy installation.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: off the shelf

Antonyms: none provided

2

prep_phrase

Meaning 2

Outside the box; unconventionally: outside the limits of conventional thinking.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: laterally, outside the box, outside of the box, OOTB

Antonyms: none provided

3

prep_phrase

Meaning 3

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: See out of, the, box.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

10 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Czech: od výroby — (idiom) immediately, without intervention from the customer
  • Esperanto: elskatole — (idiom) immediately, without intervention from the customer
  • Finnish: käyttövalmiina — (idiom) immediately, without intervention from the customer
  • French: au déballage — (idiom) immediately, without intervention from the customer
  • German: (direkt) einsatzfähig — (idiom) immediately, without intervention from the customer
  • German: gebrauchsfertig — (idiom) immediately, without intervention from the customer
  • German: von der Stange — (idiom) immediately, without intervention from the customer
  • Polish: prosto spod igły — (idiom) immediately, without intervention from the customer
  • Russian: из коро́бки (iz koróbki) — (idiom) immediately, without intervention from the customer
  • Turkish: hazır — (idiom) immediately, without intervention from the customer