What does inbox mean?
An inbox is the place where incoming communications are collected. Today, the word usually means the electronic folder or mailbox in which a person receives email, messages, notifications, and other digital items. It can also refer, more traditionally, to a physical tray or compartment for letters and documents, although that use sounds increasingly dated. In everyday conversation, people speak of checking, clearing, filling, or ignoring an inbox, reflecting the variety of messages that modern users encounter. The word is also used informally as a verb: “I’ll inbox you the information” means roughly “I’ll send you a message.” Because it can sound busier, more cluttered, or less personal than a physical mailbox, the inbox often carries the practical implication of receiving communication that must eventually be read, organized, or answered.
A receptacle or electronic folder in which incoming mail, messages, documents, or other communications are received.
"There were several urgent requests waiting in her inbox."
The electronic sense is dominant today. The physical sense remains recognizable but is comparatively formal or dated outside descriptions of offices and traditional mail handling.
To send a message or other communication to someone's inbox.
"I’ll inbox you the revised itinerary once the bookings are confirmed."
This is an informal, chiefly computer-related verb and is less conventional than “email” or “send.”
The standard plural adds “-es” to the final consonant sound.
"Several inboxes were overflowing with automated notifications."
The inbox began as a physical tray for incoming letters and later became one of the most familiar metaphors of the digital age.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does inbox come from?
“Inbox” is an English compound formed from “in” and “box.” It was used in the early twentieth century for a receptacle in which incoming letters and papers were placed. With the development of electronic mail, the word acquired its now-dominant sense of a folder where incoming messages are collected. Its root is the same English word represented in “box,” “boxing,” “boxer,” and “boxwood.”
Related word forms
How inbox is actually used
The noun is standard in both British and American English. The verb “inbox” is informal and computer-related, as in “I’ll inbox you the file”; it is less established than “email” or “message.” The physical-receptacle sense is now dated except in offices, formal correspondence, or descriptions of traditional mail handling.
Easily confused with inbox
A mailbox can be a physical container for mail or an electronic account, whereas an inbox specifically means the folder or collection where incoming messages appear.