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

Examples of cottage industry in a Sentence

weaving, pottery, and other cottage industries
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That, in turn, has given rise to a cottage industry of broadcasting breakers, and in less than two years, Hot Hands Sports has carved out its own place. — Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 16 Oct. 2026 There’s an entire cottage industry of iPod mods out there, but Sprout Pi and Sprout Pico are two of the few full motherboard replacements that combine many of the most popular mods into a single upgrade. — Terrence O'Brien, The Verge, 14 Oct. 2026 The shows are part of a growing cottage industry that the city is supporting by streamlining the permit process and giving out awards to creators. — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 30 Sep. 2026 Joy Division bootlegs have been a cottage industry since the 1980s. — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cottage industry

Word History

First Known Use

1849, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cottage industry was in 1849

Rhymes for cottage industry

See All Rhymes for cottage industry

Browse Nearby Words

cottage hospital
cottage industry
cottage lily
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Cite this Entry

“Cottage industry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cottage%20industry. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on cottage industry

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cottage industry

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