brick-and-mortar

adjective

brick-and-mor·​tar ˈbrik-ən(d)-ˈmȯr-tər How to pronounce brick-and-mortar (audio)
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Colleges with strong name recognition use this to be able to charge similar tuition and fees for on-line programs as traditional brick-and-mortar courses, at a fraction of the cost. Scott White, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025 In the bricks-and-mortar, Cox fills the display case with chocolate and marble cupcakes iced with a rainbow swirl of thick Swiss buttercream. Sophie Levenson, Chicago Tribune, 17 June 2025 The Union Beer interlude kicked off the search for a brick-and-mortar spot, always a difficult process in Miami’s expensive and ever-shifting culinary landscape. Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 13 June 2025 The company then bought One Medical for $3.9 billion in 2023, among its largest acquisitions ever, giving Amazon access to a chain of brick-and-mortar primary care clinics and a robust membership base. Ashley Capoot,annie Palmer, CNBC, 13 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for brick-and-mortar

Word History

First Known Use

1975, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of brick-and-mortar was in 1975

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Cite this Entry

“Brick-and-mortar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brick-and-mortar. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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