Used to refer to the immediate usability or functionality of a newly purchased product, typically an electronic device or a piece of software. It also means that it is available for all users by default, and are not required to pay additionally to use those features, or needs to be configured. Let’s look at some dictionary definitions of “out of the box”Īn out-of-the-box feature or functionality (also called OOTB or off the shelf), particularly in software, is a feature or functionality of a product that works immediately after or even without any special installation without any configuration or modification. Possibly, here, we can expand the phrase to “out of the box thinking” or “thinking outside the box.” Essentially, the meaning I was getting to was, “thinking beyond, thinking creatively, thinking outside the parameters of the given instructions, maybe even thinking about how to customize or tweak something to personalize it for a business or an individual.” This not only demonstrates how diverse our language can be as the same phrase essentially has an opposite meaning depending on context – requiring no creative thinking or a no-brainer approach (the out-of-the-box software) compared to “out of the box thinking” which suggests coming up with alternatives, new ideas, and new approaches. Interestingly, I can say that I had to “think out of the box” to know that “out of the box” had a totally unexpected, and seemingly contradictory meaning. Due to this, learning this meaning took me off guard. Though I provide training to those in the software industry, I have no formal education in the software industry. Meaning 2: To Make Changes, Creative Thinking Is Needed However, there is another meaning to this you may encounter when talking with American clients… anyone have any guesses?” I was excited to learn this new way to use this phrase, exclaiming to the participants, “I like it!” I said, “Let’s add this to the list of meanings for this idiom. Possibly, for this first definition, we can expand the phrase to “out of the box feature” or “out of the box software.” This means using a product as soon as you get it, straight off the shelf, without making any changes.īecause I was learning this meaning for the first time, it took me off guard. One of the software engineers raised her hand and said, “For us, “out of the box” means to use software without customizing it.” Meaning 1: No Changes, Can Be Used As Is Immediately I am happy to say that I was mistaken! What does “Out of the Box” mean? Initially, I thought this phrase only had one meaning. Some years ago I was taken by surprise when asked “What does ‘out of the box’ mean?” during the course Business English Seminar.
What does “Out of the Box” mean? Posted On: March 20, 2018
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