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

Combining pizza’s warm, gooey deliciousness with the handheld convenience of an ice cream cone, the local business has grown its fun, quirky brand from food cart to food trucks and, finally, a Meridian brick-and-mortar that opened in 2018. —Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 10 Dec. 2025

Wendell Rocha is opening his first brick-and-mortar restaurant, Tudo Sabor Brasil, in South Milwaukee. —Erik S. Hanley, jsonline.com, 9 Dec. 2025

Feerick represents four brick-and-mortar boat rental companies operating on Mission Bay and San Diego Bay. —David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Dec. 2025

This surge in brick-and-mortar shutdowns reflects the pressure from rising operational costs from . —Amanda Greenwood, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025

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