brick-and-mortar

American  

[brik-uhn-mawr-ter] / ˈbrɪk ənˈmɔr tər /

Also bricks-and-mortar

adjective

1. pertaining to conventional stores, businesses, etc., having physical buildings and facilities, as opposed to internet or remote services.

2. made of bricks and mortar.

---

Etymology

Origin of brick-and-mortar

First recorded in 1860–65 brick-and-mortar for def. 2; brick-and-mortar def. 1 in 1985–90

Example Sentences

The 42-year-old company’s brick-and-mortar video-game business is in decline.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026

Retail outposts, brick-and-mortar food joints, and text-based media have not been thriving sectors for a while now, but they’ve been especially shellacked in the weird post-pandemic economy.

From Slate • Apr. 16, 2026

With the world closed down, the couple took a leap, pouring all the money they got in stimulus checks into starting a brick-and-mortar business in the city of San Fernando.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 25, 2026

Nagi explains that not all of the centres are brick-and-mortar classrooms.

From BBC • Feb. 18, 2026

There was nothing left but a charred brick-and-mortar shell, roof gone and gutted from the inside.

From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah