niche

noun

\ ˈnich

also ˈnēsh or ˈnish

Definition of niche

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : a recess in a wall especially for a statue

b : something (such as a sheltered or private space) that resembles a recess in a wall

2a : a place, employment, status, or activity for which a person or thing is best fitted finally found her niche

b : a habitat supplying the factors necessary for the existence of an organism or species

c : the ecological role of an organism in a community especially in regard to food consumption

d : a specialized market

niche

verb

\ ˈnich also ˈnēsh or ˈnish

niched; niching

Definition of niche (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

: to place in or as if in a niche (see niche entry 1)

Synonyms How do you pronounce niche? Is it \NEESH\ or \NICH\? More Example Sentences Learn More about niche

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How do you pronounce niche? Is it \NEESH\ or \NICH\?

Noun

There is a debate about how you are supposed to pronounce niche. There are two common pronunciation variants, both of which are currently considered correct: \NEESH\ (rhymes with sheesh) and \NICH\ (rhymes with pitch). \NICH\ is the more common one and the older of the two pronunciations. It is the only pronunciation given for the word in all English dictionaries until the 20th century, when \NEESH\ was first listed as a pronunciation variant in Daniel Jones's English Pronouncing Dictionary (1917). \NEESH\ wasn’t listed as a pronunciation in our dictionaries until our 1961 Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged, and it wasn’t entered into our smaller Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary until 1993. Even then, it was marked in the Collegiate as a pronunciation that was in educated use but not considered acceptable until 2003.

All this is to say that the historical pronunciation has been \NICH\, and that \NEESH\ is a relative newcomer that came about likely under influence from French pronunciation conventions. At this point in time in the U.S., \NICH\ is still the more common pronunciation, but \NEESH\ is gaining ground. Our evidence suggests that in British English, \NEESH\ is now the more common pronunciation.

Examples of niche in a Sentence

Noun

To succeed in this new world, you have to sell yourself. You go to a brand-name college, not to imbibe the wisdom of its professors, but to make impressions and connections. You pick a niche that can bring attention to yourself and then develop your personal public relations efforts to let the world know who you are. — Alan Wolfe, New York Times Book Review, 7 Jan. 2001 The ivory-billed woodpecker, wan ghost of southern woodlands, may actually be flying forth from its niche in extinction. — Frank Graham, Jr., Audubon, May/June 2000 Creatures in the genus Rickettsia occupy a niche between bacteria and viruses. They carry much of their own cellular equipment and are vulnerable to antibiotics, but like viruses they need to invade living cells in order to grow. — Wayne Biddle, A Field Guide to Germs, 1995 No, a safe and humble backbencher's niche in the Senate was the inheritance of a Julius these days. — Colleen McCullough, The First Man in Rome, 1990 A dozen or so fey young monks in saffron robes and shaven heads wafted from quiet niche to niche begging alms and looking very flesh-bound to my jaded eyes. — Arthur Miller, Timebends, 1987 I found a niche for myself after high school. She finally found her niche as a teacher. the species that fill an environmental niche

Verb

The most moving of all the museums in Russia, right now, is also the smallest and the most unlikely. Niched with no fuss whatever in what was a communal apartment high in the annex of the former Sheremetyev Palace in St. Petersburg, it is devoted to a great Russian poet, Anna Akhmatova (1889-1966). — John Russell, New York Times Book Review, 1 Jan. 1995

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

In the past few years, vegan and natural designs have found a considerable niche in the interiors market. — Elise Taylor, Vogue, "Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Are Planning an Eco-Friendly Nursery for Their Baby," 24 Jan. 2019 Photo illustration: Heather Seidel/The Wall Street Journal The compact sedan is Mr. Musk’s bet Tesla can evolve from a niche luxury player into an auto maker offering a more affordable car to mainstream buyers. — Tim Higgins, WSJ, "Tesla to Slash More Jobs in Effort to Reduce Model 3 Price," 18 Jan. 2019 Scientists think haramiyids were diverse and possibly occupied similar ecological niches, eating insects, plants or meat. — Nicholas St. Fleur, New York Times, "Big Discovery in a Tiny Mammal-Like Skull Found Under a Dinosaur’s Foot," 23 May 2018 Seems like 3D Realms is carving itself out a little niche alongside Dusk and Amid Evil publisher New Blood Interactive. — Hayden Dingman, PCWorld, "This week in games: Diablo rises from the dead on GOG, Dead or Alive's $93 season pass, Halo on PC?," 8 Mar. 2019 Mara Brock Akil has carved out a significant and insightful niche on the prime-time TV spectrum with her shows that explore the joys and complexities of being an African American woman in modern society. — Sonaiya Kelley, latimes.com, "OWN's 'Love Is_': The love story of a powerful Hollywood couple hits prime time," 19 June 2018 Weezer recently carved out a niche for itself covering pre-90s classics, and their Teal Album is ALL faithful covers. — Katherine J. Igoe, Marie Claire, "Workout Songs to Make 2019 Your Most Athletic Year Yet," 5 Feb. 2019 Bella and Apollo are haplessly naive to the fact that Parx has carved a successful niche for herself as a genre-hopping songwriter, bouncing from one high profile project to another. — Rob Ledonne, Billboard, "Tayla Parx Talks Writing Songs With Janelle Monae & Christina Aguilera After Moving on From Acting," 23 May 2018 All of those—and more—are part of the annual Winter X Games, known as one of the premier elite events in winter action sports that combines both traditional sports and more niche, extreme events. — Jenny Mccoy, SELF, "The 2019 Winter X Games Starts This Week—Here’s What You Need to Know," 23 Jan. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

And many websites cater to niche vacation markets, from hikers to cruisers. — Rob Wile, miamiherald, "Even vacations can be hell for autism families. A new website is here to help. | Miami Herald," 3 May 2018 Christian support for the Aliyah largely began with the collapse of the Soviet Union and has grown in recent years as American Jews have redirected charitable donations to niche causes. — Washington Post, "Christians emerge as key patrons for Jews moving to Israel," 8 Mar. 2018

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