cottage industry

American  

noun

1. the production, for sale, of goods at home, as the making of handicrafts by rural families.

2. any small-scale, loosely organized industry.

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cottage industry British  

noun

1. an industry in which employees work in their own homes, often using their own equipment

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Etymology

Origin of cottage industry

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

Gorka’s path to the White House began in the cottage industry of self-styled terrorism experts that sprang up after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

From Salon • Apr. 22, 2026

In what was once a cottage industry, startups worth billions now pay humans to distill their hard-won subject-area expertise into lessons for the bots.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

There is a cottage industry of “tell-all” media about Kennedy and Bessette’s relationship, much of it powered by the people who have claimed to be close to them.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026

The honour has cast a global spotlight on a fragile cottage industry battling labour shortages, rampant adulteration and dwindling sap supplies.

From Barron's • Feb. 10, 2026

Somebody called and asked about ordering an ID card, the cottage industry that at fifty bucks a pop will help underwrite their contemplated move to Chicago.

From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz