boutique

noun

bou·​tique bü-ˈtēk 

often attributive

1

a

: a small shop dealing in fashionable clothing or accessories

b

: a small shop within a large department store

2

: a small company that offers highly specialized services or products

boutique wineries

an independent investment boutique

boutiquey

bü-ˈtē-kē 

adjective

Did you know?

Apothecaries, Bodegas, and Boutiques

Apothecary, bodega, and boutique may not look very similar, but they are all related both in meaning and in origin. Each of these words can be traced back to a Latin word for “storehouse” (apotheca), and each one refers in English to a retail establishment of some sort. Although bodega initially meant “a storehouse for wine,” it now most commonly refers to a grocery store in an urban area, especially one that specializes in Hispanic groceries. Boutique has also taken on new meanings: its first sense in English (“a small retail store”) is still current, but it now may also denote “a small company that offers highly specialized products or services.” Of the three words, apothecary has changed the least; it has gone from referring solely to the person who sells drugs or medicines to also naming the store where such goods are sold.

Examples of boutique in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Located along the waterfront, this open-air shopping center features a mix of national retailers, local boutiques and an exciting marketplace atmosphere. —Jacob Wisda, Miami Herald, 4 June 2024

In the 1970s, before SoHo was filled with luxury boutiques and Instagram-bait museums, Mr. Haas created a mural on the facade of a building on the corner of Prince and Greene Streets. —Anna Kodé, New York Times, 31 May 2024

Alex Masterson, owner of the Candle Vault, 114 Kansas St., opened her business in September, transforming a vacant bank built in 1885 to a boutique shop where patrons can create a custom-scented candle from among its 130 fragrance options. —Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2024

So last Christmas, her friends decided to indulge her passion by gifting her a miniature statue of the movie's fictional editor-in-chief (played by Meryl Streep) of fashion magazine Runway, from a boutique in Seaside, Florida. —Jordan Greene, Peoplemag, 24 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

French, shop, probably from Old Occitan botica, ultimately from Greek apothēkē storehouse — more at apothecary

First Known Use

1767, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

boutique

noun

bou·​tique bü-ˈtēk 

: a small fashionable store

Etymology

from French boutique "shop"

Legal Definition

boutique

noun

bou·​tique bü-ˈtēk 

: a small company that offers highly specialized services or products

specifically : a small law firm that offers services in one or a small number of legal areas