brick-and-mortar

adjective

brick-and-mor·​tar ˈbrik-ən(d)-ˈmȯr-tər 

variants or bricks-and-mortar

: relating to or being a traditional business serving customers in a building as contrasted to an online business

a brick-and-mortar store

Examples of brick-and-mortar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Charlotte Hornets are expanding ways to get merch into fans hands as the first NBA team to partner with Rally House for online and a brick-and-mortar store. — Charlotte Observer, 2 July 2026

At the same time, platforms are aiming to reproduce the refined design and personalized service of brick-and-mortar boutiques to meet their customer’s high expectations. — K.h. Koehler, USA Today, 2 July 2026

Where to Eat Lebanese Flower Café, a farmers market favorite for 20 years, opened its first brick-and-mortar shop on Mass Street in late 2025, serving shawarma, falafel, and other Middle Eastern dishes. — Chris Dong, Travel + Leisure, 30 June 2026

And while their inventory has traditionally been sold exclusively online, the Canadian company has since expanded into a Vancouver store, with plans to open more brick-and-mortar locations across California and Washington later this year. — Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 30 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1975, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for brick-and-mortar

• colporteur
• exporter
• headquarter
• importer
• reporter
• supporter
• transporter
• mortar
• quarter
• shorter
• sorter