cottage industry

noun

1

: an industry whose labor force consists of family units or individuals working at home with their own equipment

2

: a small and often informally organized industry

3

: a limited but enthusiastically pursued activity or subject

… this debate about sex and law became a cottage industry for feminist academics …

—Wendy Kaminer

Examples of cottage industry in a Sentence

weaving, pottery, and other cottage industries

Recent Examples on the Web

While not as flashy as some of Netflix’s marquee franchises as Bridgerton or Stranger Things, the adaptations of his bestselling thrillers have become a cottage industry, delivering high volume and solid return on investment. — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 28 July 2026

The unsolved case has become a source of endless fascination in Britain and beyond, and a cottage industry for the media. — Amelie Claydon, New York Times, 24 July 2026

Naturally, an entire cottage industry has emerged around the trend. — Daisy Schofield, Allure, 13 July 2026

American makers relied on unfinished movements imported from England, much as English makers themselves depended on highly specialized cottage industries. — Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 3 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1849, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for cottage industry

• interindustry