inbox

inbox — noun

1. a digital folder found on a computer, phone, or tablet that gathers every new em

1.nounA2
Definition

a digital folder found on a computer, phone, or tablet that gathers every new email, direct message, or other communication you receive and shows them in one place

Example

Nellie checked her inbox every morning before starting work.

check + [possessive] inbox

The spam filter caught the suspicious email before it ever reached Amihan's inbox.

reach + [possessive] inbox

Common collocations
  • check your inbox
  • inbox zero
  • clear your inbox
  • inbox overflow
Synonyms
  • mailbox

    more common for postal mail; rarely used for digital messages outside of email server contexts

Antonyms
  • outbox

    holds sent or outgoing messages rather than received ones

Grammar Patterns

usually singular

possessive determiner + inbox

Usage Note

Frequently used with possessive determiners (my inbox, your inbox, her inbox). The verb 'check' is a very common collocation across both digital and physical senses.

Common Mistakes

I found your email in my inbox mail.
I found your email in my inbox.
The word 'inbox' already refers to the storage location; adding 'mail' after it is redundant.

2. a tray or shallow container kept on a desk, where incoming letters, reports, or

2.nounB1
Definition

a tray or shallow container kept on a desk, where incoming letters, reports, or other papers are placed until someone deals with them

Example

The secretary placed the signed contracts into the manager's inbox on his desk.

place [something] into + [possessive] inbox

Adisa's inbox was piled so high with paperwork that envelopes slid off onto the floor.

Common collocations
  • paper inbox
  • inbox tray
  • sort the inbox
Synonyms
  • tray

    a more general word for any flat open container; 'inbox' specifies that it holds items awaiting attention

  • in-tray

    a direct synonym, especially common in British English office settings

Antonyms
  • out-tray

    holds documents that have been processed and are ready to be sent out

Grammar Patterns

usually singular

possessive determiner + inbox

Usage Note

This physical sense is now much less common in daily language than the digital sense (sense 1). It is mostly encountered in office contexts or descriptions of older workplace setups.

inbox — verb

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

In digital communication, 'inbox' refers specifically to the folder where new, unread, or recently received messages appear — the default landing spot. 'Mailbox' is a broader term that can refer to the entire email account or address (e.g., 'my mailbox is full'), whereas 'inbox' is just one folder inside it. 'Spam folder' (or 'junk folder') is a separate location where the system automatically sends suspicious or unwanted mail; messages there are not considered part of the inbox. 'Messages' (plural) usually describes the collection of individual conversations in a messaging app (WhatsApp, Messenger) rather than a named folder. 'Outbox' is the opposite — a folder holding messages you have sent but the recipient has not yet received. A typical workflow: a message arrives in your inbox; if you do not recognise the sender, you can move it to spam (the spam folder); after you reply, a copy may sit in your outbox until delivery.

inbox ↗mailbox ↗spam foldermessagesoutbox

Common collocations

Nouns

  • inbox folder
  • inbox tray
  • inbox message

Phrases

  • check your inbox
  • clear your inbox
  • inbox zero

Prepositions

  • in the inbox
  • from the inbox
  • into the inbox

Etymology

Old English (in, box)English (compound)English (digital metaphor)English (verb coinage)

The word 'inbox' is a compound of the preposition 'in' and the noun 'box', originally referring to a physical tray on an office desk where incoming paper documents were placed. This literal use dates back to at least the early 1900s. When email systems became widespread in the 1980s and 1990s, the term was adopted as a metaphor for the digital folder that holds incoming electronic messages. The verb use — meaning to send someone a private message on social media — is a much more recent development, emerging with platforms like Twitter and Instagram in the 2010s.