autoboxing

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noun

Automatic boxing, the implicit conversion of primitive data types to wrapper objects.

OriginEnglish boxing ← New Latin automaticus ← Classical Latin automatum →
Scrabble 20
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Meanings

nounautoboxing (uncountable)
  1. uncountableobject-oriented programmingAutomatic boxing, the implicit conversion of primitive data types to wrapper objects.

    Autoboxing and unboxing are typically used for collections of primitives. Autoboxing involves the dynamic allocation of memory and initialization of an object for each primitive.

    2014, Robert Liguori, Patricia Liguori, Java 8 Pocket Guide, O'Reilly, →ISBN, page 28

Origin

  1. Proto-Hellenic*autós
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ew
  3. Ancient Greekαὖ (aû)
  4. Ancient Greekτόν (tón)
  5. Ancient Greekαὐτός (autós)
  6. Ancient Greekαὐτο- (auto-)
  7. Proto-Indo-European*mn̥tós
  8. Proto-Hellenic*mətós
  9. Ancient Greekαὐτόμᾰτος (autómătos)
  10. Ancient Greekαὐτόμᾰτον (autómăton)
  11. Classical Latinautomatum
  12. New Latinautomaticus
  13. Englishautomaticclip.
  14. Englishauto-
  15. Englishboxing
  16. Englishautoboxing

From auto- + boxing.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish automaattinen kuorrutus
  • automaattinen kuorrutusautomatic boxing
French autoboxing
  • autoboxingautomatic boxing
Cite this entry
APA

autoboxing. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/autoboxing

MLA

“autoboxing.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/autoboxing. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “autoboxing,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/autoboxing.

Source: autoboxing on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.