emporium

play

noun em·po·ri·um \ im-ˈpȯr-ē-əm , em- \

Definition of emporium

plural emporiums also emporia play \im-ˈpȯr-ē-ə, em-\

1 a :a place of trade; especially :a commercial center

b :a retail outlet

a hardware emporium

a pizza emporium

2 :a store carrying many different kinds of merchandise

See emporium defined for English-language learners

See emporium defined for kids

Examples of emporium in a Sentence

an emporium for home electronic equipment filled with stuff I didn't know I needed but now desperately want

Recent Examples of emporium from the Web

The site is an emporium for dead-stock and hard-to-find shades at cheap prices (most are under $20) and less hassle than an eBay transaction.

— indya brown, The Cut, "Fact: Rihanna Has the Best Sunglasses in the Game," 9 Aug. 2017
Krispy Kreme surprisingly shut its four-decade-old Government Street doughnut emporium on Dec. 27, 2011.

— john sharp, AL.com, "Dunkin' Donuts project thwarted in Alabama neighborhood where Krispy Kreme once ruled," 10 July 2017
So how exactly did a middle-American crafting emporium end up with over 5,000 sketchily purchased ancient cuneiform tablets and the like?

— gabriella paiella and jessica roy, The Cut, "This Week in Drama: Hobby Lobby Bought Smuggled Iraqi Artifacts, Chris Christie Went to the Beach, and Lena Dunham’s Abandoned-Dog Saga Continues," 7 July 2017
Russell, an intuitive entrepreneur, later opened two successful stores called WHY Louisville, which were gift emporiums dedicated to Kentucky.

— jeffrey lee puckett, The Courier-Journal, "'I was just gone.' After manic episode, Lebowski Fest founder Will Russell embraces recovery," 5 July 2017
The former Brunswick bowling and entertainment center on the north end of the mall is now a place called Bowlero, while the prominent space in the middle that used to be a boxing fitness gym is now a temporary-looking wholesale emporium.

— eric scott, chicagotribune.com, "Column: Blight quietly spreading in Buffalo Grove," 5 July 2017
Wood gambled that these emporiums would appeal to consumers who were discovering the new mobility that came with the automobile.

— sarah halzack, miamiherald, "The big missteps that brought an American retail icon to the edge of collapse," 25 June 2017
The same family has been putting out the catalog, and tending the actual brick-and-mortar emporiums (there's a Rockingham store in addition to the original Weston location), since 1946.

— jill gleeson, Country Living, "A Salute to the Vermont Country Store Catalog," 23 June 2017
Ebony oversees the Johnsons’ three-store investment of Once Upon a Child franchises, has a line of apparel called LuxuryEgo and is about to launch her own online fashion emporium.

— jourdan rodrigue, charlotteobserver, "For Panthers’ Charles Johnson, a different kind of Father’s Day," 17 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'emporium.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of emporium

Latin, from Greek emporion, from emporos traveler, trader, from em- ²en- + poros passage, journey — more at fare

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1586

See Words from the same year

emporium Synonyms

Synonyms

bazaar, shop, store

Related Words

market, marketplace, outlet, showroom; boutique, chain store, department store, dime store, exchange, five-and-ten (also five-and-dime), mart, mini-mart, thrift shop, variety store; big box, supercenter, superstore

Other Business Terms

amortize, caveat emptor, clearinghouse, divest, due diligence, emolument, green-collar, marque, overhead, perquisite

EMPORIUM Defined for English Language Learners

emporium

play

noun

Definition of emporium for English Language Learners

: a store or shop

Learn More about emporium

See words that rhyme with emporium Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for emporium

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up emporium? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

emporium

Definition of emporium

Examples of emporium in a Sentence

Recent Examples of emporium from the Web

Origin and Etymology of emporium

emporium Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Other Business Terms

EMPORIUM Defined for English Language Learners

emporium

Definition of emporium for English Language Learners

Learn More about emporium

Seen and Heard

WORD OF THE DAY

broadside

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Test Your Vocabulary

Words at Play

'Meat Sweats': The Cookout's Worst Nightmare

'Diffuse' vs. 'Defuse'

Breathing Life Into 'Inspire'

Let's Talk 'Tea'

Ask the Editors

Words of the Year: 1066

How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Irregardless

Weird Plurals

Word Games

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Challenging Vocabulary Quiz Returns!

How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Bee Cubed

'Meat Sweats': The Cookout's Worst Nightmare

Trending: Kim Jong Un: Trump a 'Dotard'

These Are Fighting Words

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Words of the Year: 1066

emporium

Definition of emporium

People Are Reading

Examples of emporium in a Sentence

Recent Examples of emporium from the Web

Origin and Etymology of emporium

emporium Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Other Business Terms

EMPORIUM Defined for English Language Learners

emporium

Definition of emporium for English Language Learners

Learn More about emporium

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

'Meat Sweats': The Cookout's Worst Nightmare

Trending: Kim Jong Un: Trump a 'Dotard'

These Are Fighting Words

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Words of the Year: 1066