boutique

boutique — noun

1. a small shop with a carefully chosen range of stylish or expensive goods, especi

1.nounC1
Definition

a small shop with a carefully chosen range of stylish or expensive goods, especially clothing, bags, jewelry, or gifts.

Example

Hiro bought a silk scarf at a boutique near the station.

buy something at a boutique

On King Street, the new boutique displays handmade bags in the window.

boutique selling stylish goods

Common collocations
  • small boutique
  • fashion boutique
  • designer boutique
  • boutique window
  • boutique owner
Synonyms
  • shop

    the broad everyday word; it does not suggest style, size, or price

  • store

    also broad, especially in American English, and can refer to businesses of any size

  • specialty shop

    stresses a narrow product range more than a stylish image

  • designer store

    closer in fashion contexts, often linked to a brand rather than a small independent shop

Grammar Patterns

buy something at a boutique

open / run a boutique

a boutique selling + goods

Usage Note

Often suggests a smaller shop with a selective range and a more personal feel than a general shop or store. It is usually followed by details of what the shop sells.

Common Mistakes

The supermarket across the road is a boutique.
The small designer shop across the road is a boutique.
a boutique is usually small and sells a selected range of stylish goods, not general everyday items.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Boutique is used for a small shop that feels selective, stylish, or more personal. Shop is the broad everyday word and does not suggest anything about design, price, or size. Store is also broad, especially in American English, and can refer to anything from a corner store to a large chain. Specialty shop stresses a narrow product range, but it may sell practical things such as tea, pens, or bike parts, so it does not automatically sound fashionable. Designer store is closer in the world of clothing and luxury goods, but it often points to one brand rather than a small independent business. You might buy handmade earrings at a boutique, groceries at a store, and camera parts at a specialty shop.

boutique ↗shop ↗store ↗specialty shopdesigner store

Common collocations

Nouns

  • boutique owner
  • boutique staff
  • boutique window

Phrases

  • open a boutique
  • run a boutique
  • shop at a boutique

Prepositions

  • at a boutique
  • from a boutique
  • inside the boutique

Etymology

FrenchEnglish

English borrowed boutique from French. In French, the word referred to a small shop or workshop, and English kept the shop meaning while giving it a stronger sense of style and carefully chosen goods.