boutique

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

Updated on: 19 Apr 2018

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

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boutiquey

play \-ˈtē-kē\ adjective

See boutique defined for English-language learners

See boutique defined for kids

Recent Examples of boutique from the Web

The nation’s lead sulfide mining leader in the 1800s is a boutique shopping and dining mecca today, especially along Main St. Browse, buy or do (via a cooking or art lesson).The Mississippi River Valley drive is scenic in spades.

— mary bergin, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Beyond Chicago: 5 other Illinois cities to visit during this bicentennial year," 13 Apr. 2018
The event is one of the community's largest cultural arts festivals, featuring art, food, live music, dancing, and antique and boutique shopping.

— robert rhoden, NOLA.com, "Slidell's Arts Evening postponed due to threat of bad weather," 12 Apr. 2018
In addition, there will also be a luncheon, boutique shopping and a raffle.

— wells dusenbury, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Mother of Parkland shooting victim, Lori Alhadeff to hold fundraiser for Make Schools Safe," 12 Apr. 2018
The boutique will take the place formerly occupied by the furniture store Design Within Reach at the Village at SouthPark on Sharon Road, according to a statement from Peter Millar.

— katherine peralta, charlotteobserver, "Men's luxury brand to open first Charlotte store in SouthPark | Charlotte Observer," 9 Apr. 2018
The new shop at 2358 Fillmore St., formerly the footwear boutique Gimme Shoes, will open May 12.

— esther mobley, San Francisco Chronicle, "Verve, the hit New York wine shop from master sommelier Dustin Wilson, coming to S.F.," 5 Apr. 2018
The boutique also carries accessories, beauty products and gift items such as candles from Voluspa, which are also sold at Nordstrom and Anthropologie.

— john-john williams iv, Howard County Times, "With her mom's help, a local blogger launches brick-and-mortar fashion boutique Simple & Feminine in Ellicott City," 3 Apr. 2018
The Browns wanted to sell wine by the glass in the boutique, but there were legal issues with that.

— robert philpot, star-telegram, "Unusual wine, craft-beer bar on Magnolia Avenue closes," 3 Apr. 2018
As pretty young things including Calu Rivero, Jenny Albright, and Shameda Shah made their way through the Soho boutique, guests lingered over the slick transitional pieces ideal for April showers and May flowers.

— Vogue, "Moncler, GQ, and Vogue Team Up for a Stylish Night of Shopping," 30 Mar. 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

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