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

Gorka’s path to the White House began in the cottage industry of self-styled terrorism experts that sprang up after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

From Salon • Apr. 22, 2026

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

From Salon • Mar. 15, 2026

Microsoft, Amazon and others are planting flags in a new cottage industry as publishers look for additional revenue.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 18, 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

If eugenics was becoming a cottage industry in Germany, it was already a full-fledged national operation in America.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee