boutique
nounUS /buˈtik/ · Southern-US /boʊˈtik/
Etymology Borrowed from French boutique. Doublet of apothecary, apotheke, and bodega.
1
A small shop, especially one that sells fashionable clothes, jewelry and the like.
- The audacious hijacking in Paris of a van carrying the baggage of a Saudi prince to his private jet is obviously an embarrassment to the French capital, whose ultra-high-end boutiques have suffered a spate of heists in recent months.2014 August 21, “A brazen heist in Paris [print version: International New York Times, 22 August 2014, p. 8]”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 17 Dec 2020:
- The 55-year-old, who worked as a nurse liaison for 30 years before opening her clothing boutique in 2014, began streaming fashion shows on Facebook Live featuring herself wearing the clothes, jewelry and accessories she sells.2020 August 16, Alaa Elassar, “A small boutique survived the coronavirus pandemic by live streaming fashion shows on Facebook”, in CNN, archived from the original on 10 Mar 2026:
2
A small shop located within a larger one.
3
Broadcasting, Film, Media, Television A film production company making only a few movies per year.
4
Often Any company that has an exclusively smaller client base generally in a niche market or specializing in bespoke or custom-made products or services.
- a boutique software consultancy
- To keep attracting clients, the law firm of the future just might turn into a legal boutique, says Earle Yaffa, the managing director […]1982, ABA Journal, volume 68, page 661:
- Derived terms
- botiquey, boutique camping, boutique hotel, boutiquelike, boutiquey, e-boutique, fruitique, postique
- Related terms
- apothecary