mom-and-pop
Americanadjective
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of or relating to a small retail business, usually owned and operated by members of a family.
a mom-and-pop grocery.
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of or indicating something, as an enterprise, investment, or project, that is independent, small in scope, and modestly financed.
noun
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mom-and-pops
plural
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of mom-and-pop
An Americanism dating back to 1950–55
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“It takes the ability for small businesses, small mom-and-pop businesses to operate away,” said Kris Basmagy, the owner and founder of DashWave Delivery.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
A tumultuous year marred by wildfires, tariffs, immigration raids, increasing rent and labor costs saw some of the city’s most famous restaurants closing, from Michelin-starred fine dining to cozy mom-and-pop spots.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
To increase supply meaningfully, Washington should focus on tax-policy changes and private-market solutions that motivate high-equity homeowners and mom-and-pop landlords to sell.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026
The rise of the NSE, meanwhile, mirrors the explosion of retail investing in India, as millions of mom-and-pop investors entered the stock market during the pandemic.
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026
Alexa’s mom drops us off in Sausalito at Frank’s Diner, a little mom-and-pop hole-in-the-wall with red vinyl barstools and a sweet view of the bay.
From "The House That Lou Built" by Mae Respicio
“If this doesn’t get solved, then these places will only be viable for the highest value-add companies. A lot of your mom-and-pops won’t be able to do it.”
From Barron's ● Oct. 10, 2025
Upon his request for local mom-and-pops that serve up “great food and service, but could use the marketing,” Lee received over 20,000 recommendations from his 16.5 million followers.
From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2024
“That means opportunities for mom-and-pops and online solutions, although we never really knew the profitability of it.”
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 24, 2023
Most of the restaurants on Mr. Doss’s list are mom-and-pops and walk-ins.
From New York Times ● Mar. 5, 2023
She’s no longer the one-stop shop for the neighborhood, and she faces competition from other mom-and-pops, but is holding on hard.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 29, 2022
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
