cottage industry
noun
1
: an industry whose labor force consists of family units or individuals working at home with their own equipment
2
: a small and often informally organized industry
3
: a limited but enthusiastically pursued activity or subject
this debate about sex and law became a cottage industry for feminist academics—
Wendy Kaminer
Wendy KaminerExamples of cottage industry in a Sentence
weaving, pottery, and other cottage industries
Recent Examples on the Web
Add to the mix a hyper-competitive media landscape and now in 2024 a cottage industry of pollsters, pundits and even gamblers who seek to give each side - and nervous undecided voters - a preview of what will happen.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA TODAY, 26 Oct. 2024
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011), directed by John Madden
This breakout British domestic hit spawned not only a sequel but possibly an entire cottage industry of golden-oldie AARP feel-good hits.
—Christina Newland, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2024
Amid the cottage industry of fretting over fickle moderates and outré conservatives of color (Cubans in Miami, Byron Donalds and Clarence Thomas, et al.), Asian Americans can fall by the wayside.
—Yiyun Li, Harper's Magazine, 23 Oct. 2024
The Swift vote has created a whole cottage industry in journalism.
—Shelby Grad, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cottage industry 
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Phillip M. Bailey, USA TODAY, 26 Oct. 2024
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011), directed by John Madden
This breakout British domestic hit spawned not only a sequel but possibly an entire cottage industry of golden-oldie AARP feel-good hits.
—Christina Newland, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2024
Amid the cottage industry of fretting over fickle moderates and outré conservatives of color (Cubans in Miami, Byron Donalds and Clarence Thomas, et al.), Asian Americans can fall by the wayside.
—Yiyun Li, Harper's Magazine, 23 Oct. 2024
The Swift vote has created a whole cottage industry in journalism.
—Shelby Grad, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cottage industry
Dictionary Entries Near cottage industry
Cite this Entry
“Cottage industry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cottage%20industry. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.
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