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

It happened place by place, inch by inch, a dusty disco ball left in the rummage while a Starbucks or a boutique gym rose to serve the freshly gentrified block around it.

From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2026

They help sustain this boutique press because of wealth that has been accrued, in many cases, in a sector predicated on a steady supply of new technologies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

Chris Watling, chief market strategist at the London-based research boutique Longview Economics, does not admit to using newsstand hyperbole as a market indicator.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 4, 2026

On Monday, Carolyn Tucker got a call from ADT around 3:30 a.m., telling her that the alarm went off at her clothing boutique Newhall’s historic downtown.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026

During the campaign, I’d done most of my shopping at a boutique in Chicago where I’d had the good fortune of meeting a young sales associate named Meredith Koop.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Available at select Miu Miu boutiques and miumiu.com.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026

We would be sipping ice-cold spritzes at cafés overlooking the Mediterranean, frolicking down cobblestone streets lined with charming boutiques, and marveling at the frescoes and marble sculptures adorning grand cathedrals.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026

Tree-shaded boulevards are lined with flagship Ferrari, Lamborghini and Rolls-Royce showrooms, as well as designer boutiques and Michelin-starred restaurants.

From Barron's ● Aug. 4, 2026

Luxury brands including Bulgari and Fendi have expanded their boutiques, and a condo project, hotel and office buildings are in the works.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 15, 2026

But Eddy Strap’s mom beat me to it and explained how Pipo Place would bring couture boutiques to Main Street.

From "The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora" by Pablo Cartaya

Related Words

• booth
• store