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

The complex and time-consuming ordeal has even spawned a cottage industry of consultants to help people navigate it.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

Strange, considering the medium made true-crime and horror storytelling into a viable cottage industry.

From Salon • Mar. 15, 2026

Yet it appears instead to have spawned a cottage industry spinning out fresh Epstein conspiracy theories.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 7, 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

Daniel and Moses thought they were paying a courtesy call on a cottage industry, but the cottage was a castle.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis