out-of-pocket

1 of 2

adjective

out-of-pock·​et ˌau̇t-ə(v)-ˈpä-kət 

: requiring an outlay of cash

out-of-pocket expenses

out of pocket

2 of 2

adverb

1

: from cash on hand : with one's own money rather than with money from another source (such as an insurance company)

With so many people willing to pay out of pocket most insurance companies do not pay for the procedure, because they regard it as "cosmetic" …

—Kenneth Chang

2

chiefly British

a

: in the position of having lost money

On Oct. 7, the government suddenly pulled the plug on Railtrack PLC, the privatized owner of Britain's railway infrastructure, leaving the company's 250,000 shareholders out of pocket.

—Kerry Capell

b

: out of funds : without money

My wife and I are already consumers of Straus's organic yogurt, butter, cream and ice cream, although I admit when I am feeling out of pocket I opt for a slightly cheaper competitor.

—Larry Gallagher

Examples of out-of-pocket in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Major insulin makers Eli Lilly, Sanofi and Novo Nordisk also have moved to cut the cost of insulin, with different combinations of cutting list prices, capping out-of-pocket costs and expanding affordability. —ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026

To the extent permitted by applicable law, all judgments or awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket damages (excluding attorneys’ fees) associated with participation in this Promotion and shall not include any indirect, punitive, incidental and/or consequential damages. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Apr. 2026

Adverb

Seniors on Medicare will pay no more than $35 per month out of pocket, thanks to a provision in the Inflation Reduction Act that went into effect Jan. 1. —Berkeley Lovelace Jr., NBC News, 14 Mar. 2023

Biden will also propose benefit changes that includes limiting to $2 how much a Medicare recipient must pay out of pocket for certain generic drugs. —Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 9 Mar. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1885, in the meaning defined above

Adverb

1679, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Rhymes for out-of-pocket

• docket
• locket
• pocket
• rocket
• socket
• sprocket
• pickpocket
• skyrocket

Legal Definition

out-of-pocket

adjective

: requiring an outlay of cash

out-of-pocket expenses