Niche Meaning
/niːʃ/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA cavity, hollow, or recess, generally within the thickness of a wall, for a statue, bust, or other erect ornament.
nounAny similar position, literal or figurative.
Sentence Examples
U.S. companies are working to find a niche in the Japanese economy.
It's a niche product.
He eventually found his niche in sports journalism.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The company found a ____ market for its handmade wooden toys.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The small company found a profitable ____ in the organic skincare market.
Word Origin & History
Unadapted borrowing from French niche, from Middle French niche, from Old French niche, from nicher (“to make a nest”) (modern French nicher), from Vulgar Latin *nīdicāre, from Latin nīdus (“nest”). Doublet of nidus and nide via Latin and nest via Proto-Indo-European; also related to nyas.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"On the margin of this long tract, are abundance of shrines and images, defended from the injuries of the weather by niches of stone wherein they are placed."
— 1641, John Evelyn, edited by William Bray, John Evelyn's Diary, volume 1, London: Henry Colburn, published 1850, page 34:
"Whitney, mother of Xavier, is a real estate titan who, along with her British husband, has found her niche selling luxurious underground bunkers to wealthy clients looking for a safe space to hunker down in the event of a climate apocalypse."
— 2022 April 5, Elizabeth Wetmore, “How Far Will Parents Go to Protect Their Sons?”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 31 Aug 2022:
"Product differentiation will be mostly limited to market niching and fashion."
— 2002, Frederick Betz, Executive Strategy, page 92:
"You can go even more niche if you like though and choose 'crocheting' or 'bird sewing patterns' but the 'more niche' you go, the more you narrow your audience."
— 2016, BookLover, How to Become A Massive YouTube Celebrity:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The company found a ____ market for its handmade wooden toys.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The small company found a profitable ____ in the organic skincare market.