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

Power Cone started as a food truck in 2022 before Castleberry opened his brick-and-mortar shop last year in Arvada. — Brittany Anas, Denver Post, 11 Aug. 2026

Today, there are a total of 717 brick-and-mortar stores, almost 100 more than in 2019, and Daunt plans to open more by the end of the year. — Sarah Glodek, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2026

There may be ways to save the tradition, if not all the ivied brick-and-mortar campuses. — Jim Nowlan, Chicago Tribune, 9 Aug. 2026

From there, the brand opened its first international brick-and-mortar storefronts in London, New York City, and Los Angeles, the last of which arrived in 2019. — Kelsey Stewart, InStyle, 7 Aug. 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