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
Kenneth Chang2
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
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
Larry GallagherExamples of out-of-pocket in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
John C. Goodman, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
For example, a family of four making $85,000 would have to pay an additional $313 in premiums for coverage in 2026 and face a $900 increase in their out-of-pocket maximum, according to an April report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
—Ana Teresa Solá, CNBC, 23 May 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for out-of-pocket
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Adjective
From its beginning in 1965, Medicare paid for small expenses that relatively healthy people could easily pay from their own resources, while leaving those with serious medical problems exposed for thousands of dollars of out-of-pocket expenses.
—John C. Goodman, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
For example, a family of four making $85,000 would have to pay an additional $313 in premiums for coverage in 2026 and face a $900 increase in their out-of-pocket maximum, according to an April report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
—Ana Teresa Solá, CNBC, 23 May 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for out-of-pocket
Cite this Entry
“Out-of-pocket.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/out-of-pocket. Accessed 31 May. 2025.
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