niche

The word “niche” means a small recess set into a wall, often used to display a statue or ornament. In plain terms, a small, specialized spot — literally a recess in a wall, or figuratively a specific area where someone or something fits perfectly.

“Niche” is pronounced neesh (/nɪt͡ʃ/ in IPA).

Here is “niche” used in a sentence: “A small statue of the saint stood in a niche above the door.”

Depending on how it is used, “niche” can be a noun and an adjective.

The word “niche” comes from Latin. Borrowed from French niche, related to nicher ("to nest"), ultimately from Latin nidus ("nest").

“Niche” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the C1 level.

“Niche” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a small recess set into a wall, often used to display a statue or ornament.

A niche is a specialized segment of a market that suits a particular product, business, or person especially well, while a market is the broader arena of buyers and sellers as a whole. A niche is essentially a narrow, well-defined slice within a larger market.

As an adjective, niche describes something appealing to a small, specific group rather than a broad audience, such as a niche product or niche interest. This differs from the noun sense, which refers to a physical recess in a wall or a specialized market position.

Niche describes something appealing to a small, specific group, while mainstream describes something with broad, general appeal to most people. A niche market or interest is the opposite of a mainstream one in terms of audience size.

In architecture, a niche is a small recess set into a wall, often used to display a statue or ornament. This is the original, physical sense of the word, distinct from its later figurative use for a specialized market or role.