boutique

American  

[boo-teek] / buˈtik /

noun

boutiques plural

1. a small shop or a small specialty department within a larger store, especially one that sells fashionable clothes and accessories or a special selection of other merchandise.

2. any small, exclusive business offering customized service.

   Our advertising is handled by a new Madison Avenue boutique.

3. Informal. a small business, department, etc., specializing in one aspect of a larger industry.

   one of Wall Street's leading research boutiques.

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adjective

1. of, designating, or characteristic of a small, exclusive producer or business.

   one of California's best boutique wineries.

boutique British  

/ buːˈtiːk /

noun

1. a shop, esp a small one selling fashionable clothes and other items

2. 1. of or denoting a small specialized producer or business

   2. ( as modifier )

      a boutique winery

3. a small specialized stall or shopping area within a supermarket, esp selling fresh meat, seafood, etc

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• boutiques
  plural

Etymology

Origin of boutique

1760–70; < French, Middle French, probably < Old Provençal botica, botiga (with Late Greek ē > ī ) < Greek apothḗkē; see apothecary, bottega

Explanation

A boutique is a small shop, especially one that sells women's clothes and jewelry. If you like to shop, you probably love going to all the little boutiques downtown. Boutique comes from a French word of the same spelling, which means any small shop. The word has its roots in the Greek word apotheke, meaning "a warehouse." The same root word also gave rise to the English word apothecary. The word boutique often has an air of exclusivity. The boutiques on Fifth Avenue in New York can be so expensive that you might feel like you can't even afford to walk in the door.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

boutique boutiques

Equally encouraging investors to buy stocks amid the pullback was Tom Lee, head of research at financial research boutique Fundstrat.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026

Darda is the chief economist and strategist at Roth Capital Partners, an equity research boutique based out of Newport Beach in California.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026

They have introduced a boutique spa for 2026 as they said demand for wellbeing activities continued to boom and it will offer treatment tents, facials and aromatherapy as "moments of serenity" for festival-goers.

From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026

The number of boutique hotels in the U.S. has increased about 35% over the past 10 years, reaching 3,025 as of May 2026, according to CoStar.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026

Sasha recommended a designer named Maria Cornejo, and I went to a boutique in Manhattan lined with her elegant gowns.

From "How Dare the Sun Rise" by Sandra Uwiringiyimana

The Swiss authorities have permitted a march around a lengthy loop on the north side of the city -- well away from the city centre and its luxury boutiques.

From Barron's ● Jun. 14, 2026

However, this time one of the usually more bullish strategy boutiques thinks that the gains will not be sustained and that further weakness in equities is likely.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 9, 2026

It is now a sophisticated, cosmopolitan hub with gleaming Cartier boutiques, avant-garde art installations and luxury districts dotted with Michelin-star restaurants.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 15, 2026

It’s a place where people pause to chat up strangers on oak-and-magnolia-draped streets, a place where boutiques sell smocked baby dresses and shirts with phrases such as “Pearls Are Always Appropriate.”

From Slate ● May 4, 2026

But now it’s art galleries and bookshops, boutiques filled with black clothing and weird footgear, the saw-toothed edge of trend.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood

Related Words

• booth
• store