boutique

noun, often attributive bou·tique \ bü-ˈtēk \

|Updated on: 8 Aug 2018

Editor's Note: Apothecaries, bodegas, and boutiques

Definition of boutique

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

play \-ˈtē-kē\ adjective

See boutique defined for English-language learners

See boutique defined for kids

Recent Examples of boutique from the Web

Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont is opening a second GW boutique July 20 in lower South End.

— katherine peralta, charlotteobserver, "Goodwill to open a boutique in South End," 13 July 2018
Growing up, when other kids his age were goofing off with each other, the rapper born Darold Ferguson Jr. was instead shadowing his father, who owned a Harlem boutique and designed the iconic Bad Boy Records logo.

— dan hyman, chicagotribune.com, "ASAP Ferg has taken everything — rap music, fashion, hype — by storm," 12 July 2018
At a boutique co-op building on a quiet Kips Bay block, Ms. Myers fell for a top-floor duplex where the upstairs bedroom opened onto a 240-square-foot roof deck.

— New York Times, "Trading Chelsea Clatter for Greenpoint Calm," 5 July 2018
The latest rezoning calls for a 45,000-square-foot boutique grocery, several other retail buildings, a two-level parking garage and 625 apartment units.

— lynn horsley, kansascity, "OP Council reverses earlier vote, allows Brookridge rezoning despite protest," 19 June 2018
Assuming the labeling is correct, a $5 pair from the dollar store should provide as much protection as a high-fashion pair that costs several hundred bucks at a boutique, adds Dr. Pandit.

— amanda gardner, Health.com, "Why Those Tiny Sunglasses Celebs Love Aren't Actually Good for Your Eyes," 13 June 2018
The company pointed to examples of a beauty cream from a local boutique or custom Easter baskets, delivered after the kids have gone to sleep.

— chris morris, Fortune, "Walmart's Personal Shopper Service Launches in New York," 1 June 2018
Thanks to luck or fate, there was a Kiehl’s boutique in my terminal.

— rachel nussbaum, Glamour, "The Easy Sunburn Treatment That Kept My Skin From Peeling," 29 May 2018
DeCharlene Williams had owned a Central Area boutique since the '60s and founded the Seattle neighborhood's chamber of commerce.

— evan bush, The Seattle Times, "‘She was fearless’: DeCharlene Williams, pillar of Seattle’s Central Area, dies at 75," 21 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'boutique.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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.

Origin and Etymology of boutique

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1767

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

Other Business Terms

amortize, caveat emptor, clearinghouse, divest, due diligence, emolument, green-collar, marque, overhead, perquisite

BOUTIQUE Defined for English Language Learners

boutique

noun

Definition of boutique for English Language Learners

: a small store that sells stylish clothing or other usually expensive things

BOUTIQUE Defined for Kids

boutique

noun bou·tique \ bü-ˈtēk \

Definition of boutique for Students

: a small fashionable shop

Law Dictionary

boutique

noun bou·tique \ bü-ˈtēk \

legal Definition of boutique

: 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