Definition of NICHE

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

Selling what's commonly called fast fashion, Forever 21's competitors, from Hennes & Mauritz AB to Target Corp.'s on-trend house brands to new online sellers, have crowded the niche, weighing on profits. — Fortune, "Will Forever 21 Seek Bankruptcy Protection?," 29 Aug. 2019 The jobs, the niches, the organizational structures, and everything else on which the success or failure of such an endeavor hinges are already in place and established for these agencies. — Declan Leary, National Review, "The Republican Plan to Drain the Swamp," 23 July 2019 Even as Boom retains our brand promise of a niche (distinct) flavour, in terms of pricing, the product is closely aligned with other mass-market beer brands. — Sangeeta Tanwar, Quartz India, "The makers of Indian craft beer Bira 91 find a real high in a cheaper, stronger brew," 23 July 2019 Just as Blake committed wholly to the niche, the recession hit. — Faith E. Pinho, latimes.com, "‘A dose of naive and maybe an overdose of confidence’: Peter Blake Gallery celebrates 25 years in Laguna Beach," 29 June 2019 Good Company has settled comfortably into a tasty and affordable niche, that dining-out sweet spot. — Marc Bona, cleveland.com, "Good Company finds niche with well-made, affordable sandwiches," 20 June 2019 Such schools are finding a lucrative niche, appealing to students who want to fix a poor grade at school or polish their transcripts with Advanced Placement or Honors courses. — Melissa Korn, WSJ, "The Trick High-Schoolers Are Using to Boost Their Grades," 18 June 2019 The limits of that second approach are an open question, but the world, and the internet, offer more and more opportunities for trying it out: countless figures, from the mainstream to online niches, with immense followings to address. — New York Times, "What Can a Star Like Cardi B Do for a Politician Like Sanders?," 11 Sep. 2019 Despite catering to a very niche and devoted fan community, the Jeremy Renner app was not without its troubles. — Tracy Brown, chicagotribune.com, "Yes, Jeremy Renner had an app. But trolls forced him to shut it down," 6 Sep. 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 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.