niche means pertaining to or intended for a market niche; having specific appeal; obscure.
niche is pronounced /niːʃ/.
Why “niche” is a great word
A specialized position or segment, ecological or economic, that perfectly accommodates and sustains a particular organism, activity, or product. Its etymology traces from French niche (“recess, niche”), from Middle French niche, from Old French niche, from nicher (“to nest”), from Vulgar Latin *nīdicāre, from Latin nīdus (“nest”). Unlike an “alcove,” which is a static, architectural recess, or a “specialty,” which denotes a cultivated expertise, a niche is the dynamic, evolved fit between inhabitant and habitat. It is the rare fern thriving in a damp cliffside fissure, the boutique market for artisanal typewriter ribbons, and the singular profession of lighthouse-keeper—the quiet, irrevocable discovery of where one causes no friction and can, at last, thrive.
Etymology
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.
adj
- Pertaining to or intended for a market niche; having specific appeal; obscure.“niche products”
noun
- A cavity, hollow, or recess, generally within the thickness of a wall, for a statue, bust, or other erect ornament.“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.”
- Any similar position, literal or figurative.
- Specifically, a cremation niche; a columbarium.
- A function within an ecological system to which an organism is especially suited.
- Any position of opportunity for which one is well-suited, such as a particular market in business.“I managed to carve out a niche for myself in the world of investigative journalism.”
- An arrow woven into a prayer rug pointing in the direction of qibla.
verb
- To place in a niche.“a niched vase”
- To specialize in a niche, or particular narrow section of the market.“Product differentiation will be mostly limited to market niching and fashion.”
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- alcove 84% match — A small recessed area set off from a larger room. vs niche →
- pigeonhole 81% match — One of an array of open compartments for housing pigeons in a dovecote or pigeon loft. vs niche →
- milieu 80% match — An environment or setting; a medium; environs vs niche →
- aedicule 80% match — A small house or room. vs niche →
- refugium 80% match — Any local environment that has escaped regional ecological change and therefore provides a habitat for endangered species. vs niche →
- lacuna 79% match — A small opening; a small pit or depression, especially in bone. vs niche →
- ambiance 79% match — A particular mood or atmosphere of an environment or surrounding influence. vs niche →
- antre 79% match — Cavern; cave. vs niche →