boutique

noun, often attributive

bou·tique | \ bü-ˈtēk

Definition of boutique

1a : 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

Other Words from boutique Apothecaries, Bodegas, and Boutiques More Example Sentences Learn More about boutique

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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

Plus, the boutique hotel is minutes away from a beach with millennial pink sand. — Marissa Miller, Teen Vogue, "13 Dream Vacations to Add to Your Bucket List," 24 Oct. 2018 The 12-room, boutique hotel, Punta Caliza, is located in Quintana Roo, Mexico on Isla Holobox, a small, car-free island between the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, surrounded entirely by nature. — Sienna Fantozzi, House Beautiful, "This Might Be The Best Hotel Pool We've Ever Seen," 1 Oct. 2018 The idea, inspired by the rising popularity of boutique hotels, serves as the principal philosophy behind each of their iconic eateries. — Lucia Tonelli, ELLE Decor, "5 Restaurant Design Trends Making Their Way Into Your Home Now," 17 Aug. 2018 At almost 10,000 square feet, the home is large enough to seem like a boutique hotel, with five bedrooms that each have their own en suite bathroom. — Dana Burke, Houston Chronicle, "Spring estate comes with its own lazy river, walking trails," 3 July 2018 And this week, Marie-Chantal, Crown Princess of Greece, hosted a lavish soirée at her new flagship boutique on Motcomb Street in Belgravia—just in time for stylish parents to snap up cute outfits for last-minute holiday cards. — Vogue, "Marie-Chantal Gets in the Holiday Spirit at Her New London Flagship," 20 Nov. 2018 Executives said watches sold through their own boutiques and, increasingly, over the internet would be the focus of their distribution. — Matthew Dalton, WSJ, "Watch Sellers Fear Their Hour Has Come," 13 Nov. 2018 Also in 2011, her boutique is relocated downtown to SoHo, into a larger space. — Megan Friedman, Town & Country, "The Rise and Fall of Ivanka Trump’s Fashion Line," 24 July 2018 She’s teamed up with Venus X, owner of the cult boutique Planet X to reissue the design just in time for Black Friday. — Brooke Bobb, Vogue, "Forget the Mega Sales This Black Friday and Try Investing in “Savage Capitalism” Instead," 21 Nov. 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.

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Last Updated

10 Jan 2019

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Time Traveler for boutique

The first known use of boutique was in 1767

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More Definitions for boutique

boutique

noun

English Language Learners Definition of boutique

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

See the full definition for boutique in the English Language Learners Dictionary

boutique

noun

bou·tique | \ bü-ˈtēk

Kids Definition of boutique

: a small fashionable shop

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