boutique

American  

[boo-teek] / buˈtik /

noun

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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Etymology

Origin of boutique

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

Example Sentences

“I just don’t think rates are as important as jobs and confidence” for driving home sales, said Margaret Whelan, chief executive of Whelan Advisory, a boutique investment bank for the housing industry.

From The Wall Street Journal

But don’t blindly book a snorkel cruise from a business or reserve that boutique hotel in the middle of nowhere without checking reviews.

From The Wall Street Journal

The bank in 2023 acquired San Francisco boutique investment bank Code Advisors to try to strengthen its footing in Silicon Valley.

From The Wall Street Journal

In turn, boutique Blu-ray companies, like the Criterion Collection, are similarly on the rise.

From Los Angeles Times

But critics say the boutique waste hauler is not accomplishing anything environmentally useful and is selling the public a myth: that these plastics — multilayer plastic film, plastic bags, polystyrene — can be taken care of responsibly.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• booth
• store