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Apothecaries, Bodegas, and Boutiques
Apothecary, bodega, and boutique may not look very similar, but they are all related both in meaning and in origin. Each of these words can be traced back to a Latin word for “storehouse” (apotheca), and each one refers in English to a retail establishment of some sort. Although bodega initially meant “a storehouse for wine,” it now most commonly refers to a grocery store in an urban area, especially one that specializes in Hispanic groceries. Boutique has also taken on new meanings: its first sense in English (“a small retail store”) is still current, but it now may also denote “a small company that offers highly specialized products or services.” Of the three words, apothecary has changed the least; it has gone from referring solely to the person who sells drugs or medicines to also naming the store where such goods are sold.
Examples of boutique in a Sentence
Vaishnavi Nayel Talawadekar, Architectural Digest, 27 Feb. 2025
The Hotel’s History The boutique hotel is situated in a 14th century palazzo that was originally built as a convent; 500 years later it was transformed by Sister Maria Raimonda Fuentes to shelter and provide education for underprivileged girls.
—Laurie Werner, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
Giancola now owns the Sweetheart Coast boutique shop on the Ocean City boardwalk.
—Chris Jordan, USA TODAY, 25 Feb. 2025
In November, the brand opened its first U.S. boutique in the Bal Harbour Shops in Miami.
—Luisa Zargani, WWD, 25 Feb. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Boutique.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boutique. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
boutique
noun
from French boutique "shop"
Legal Definition
boutique
noun
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