Did you know?
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
Kasey Caminiti, USA Today, 29 Nov. 2025
Club Seabourne Hotel While Culebra is best known for its simple guesthouse and villa rentals, Club Seabourne Hotel is a great choice for travelers looking for the conveniences and amenities of a boutique hotel.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 29 Nov. 2025
Jim Griset, who owns buildings in the Arizona city of about 46,000 people, has been trying to build his boutique hotel on his property.
—Center Square, The Washington Examiner, 29 Nov. 2025
The multi-year plan is aimed at transforming the customer experience, with plans to introduce a first-of-its-kind vertical two-story boutique concept and Europe’s first curved escalators as an architectural feature.
—Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 28 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for boutique
Cite this Entry
“Boutique.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boutique. Accessed 30 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
boutique
noun
from French boutique "shop"
Legal Definition
boutique
noun
Share