Illustration of niche
- niche 1a
1
a
: a recess in a wall especially for a statue
To the side, a wall niche creates the perfect alcove for a bar area.—
Ella Field
Ella Field
b
: something (such as a sheltered or private space) that resembles a recess in a wall
The prayer niche inside … faces east …—Rick Steves
Rick Steves2
a
: a place, employment, status, or activity for which a person or thing is best fitted
She finally found her niche as a teacher.
The key is not to pick a niche too quickly after college.—Jeffrey J. Selingo
—often used before another nounJeffrey J. Selingoniche interests/hobbies
b
: a habitat supplying the factors necessary for the existence of an organism or species
… some twelve million to nine million years ago, the open savannas were appearing. Into this niche moves one of the large apes.—Pamela Weintraub
Pamela Weintraub
c
: the ecological role of an organism in a community especially in regard to food consumption
Most are necrophagous—eaters of dead bodies—a common niche in lightless, deep antarctic waters …—David G. Campbell
David G. Campbell
d
: a specialized market
a profitable niche
Smart clocks and sunrise alarms are a growing niche in the sleep market.—Lindsey Vickers
—often used before another nounLindsey VickersMy intention has been to change the myth that Black hair care is a niche market.—Tracee Ellis Ross, quoted in Travel & Leisure
Tracee Ellis Ross, quoted in Travel & Leisure
Did you know?
How do you pronounce niche? Is it \NEESH\ or \NICH\?
There is a debate about how you are supposed to pronounce niche. There are two common pronunciation variants, both of which are currently considered correct: \NEESH\ (rhymes with sheesh) and \NICH\ (rhymes with pitch). \NICH\ is the more common one and the older of the two pronunciations. It is the only pronunciation given for the word in all English dictionaries until the 20th century, when \NEESH\ was first listed as a pronunciation variant in Daniel Jones's English Pronouncing Dictionary (1917). \NEESH\ wasn’t listed as a pronunciation in our dictionaries until our 1961 Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged, and it wasn’t entered into our smaller Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary until 1993. Even then, it was marked in the Collegiate as a pronunciation that was in educated use but not considered acceptable until 2003.
All this is to say that the historical pronunciation has been \NICH\, and that \NEESH\ is a relative newcomer that came about likely under influence from French pronunciation conventions. At this point in time in the U.S., \NICH\ is still the more common pronunciation, but \NEESH\ is gaining ground. Our evidence suggests that in British English, \NEESH\ is now the more common pronunciation.
Examples of niche in a Sentence
Noun
To succeed in this new world, you have to sell yourself. You go to a brand-name college, not to imbibe the wisdom of its professors, but to make impressions and connections. You pick a niche that can bring attention to yourself and then develop your personal public relations efforts to let the world know who you are.
—Alan Wolfe, New York Times Book Review, 7 Jan. 2001
The ivory-billed woodpecker, wan ghost of southern woodlands, may actually be flying forth from its niche in extinction.
—Frank Graham, Jr., Audubon, May/June 2000
Creatures in the genus Rickettsia occupy a niche between bacteria and viruses. They carry much of their own cellular equipment and are vulnerable to antibiotics, but like viruses they need to invade living cells in order to grow.
—Wayne Biddle, A Field Guide to Germs, 1995
No, a safe and humble backbencher's niche in the Senate was the inheritance of a Julius these days.
—Colleen McCullough, The First Man in Rome, 1990
A dozen or so fey young monks in saffron robes and shaven heads wafted from quiet niche to niche begging alms and looking very flesh-bound to my jaded eyes.
—Arthur Miller, Timebends, 1987
I found a niche for myself after high school.
She finally found her niche as a teacher.
the species that fill an environmental niche
Verb
The most moving of all the museums in Russia, right now, is also the smallest and the most unlikely. Niched with no fuss whatever in what was a communal apartment high in the annex of the former Sheremetyev Palace in St. Petersburg, it is devoted to a great Russian poet, Anna Akhmatova (1889-1966).
—John Russell, New York Times Book Review, 1 Jan. 1995
Alan Wolfe, New York Times Book Review, 7 Jan. 2001
The ivory-billed woodpecker, wan ghost of southern woodlands, may actually be flying forth from its niche in extinction.
—Frank Graham, Jr., Audubon, May/June 2000
Creatures in the genus Rickettsia occupy a niche between bacteria and viruses. They carry much of their own cellular equipment and are vulnerable to antibiotics, but like viruses they need to invade living cells in order to grow.
—Wayne Biddle, A Field Guide to Germs, 1995
No, a safe and humble backbencher's niche in the Senate was the inheritance of a Julius these days.
—Colleen McCullough, The First Man in Rome, 1990
A dozen or so fey young monks in saffron robes and shaven heads wafted from quiet niche to niche begging alms and looking very flesh-bound to my jaded eyes.
—Arthur Miller, Timebends, 1987
I found a niche for myself after high school.
She finally found her niche as a teacher.
the species that fill an environmental niche
Verb
The most moving of all the museums in Russia, right now, is also the smallest and the most unlikely. Niched with no fuss whatever in what was a communal apartment high in the annex of the former Sheremetyev Palace in St. Petersburg, it is devoted to a great Russian poet, Anna Akhmatova (1889-1966).
—John Russell, New York Times Book Review, 1 Jan. 1995
Recent Examples on the Web
Emilia Petrarca, New Yorker, 2 Jan. 2026
The search for hair restoration solutions has evolved from a niche cosmetic desire into a robust sector of medical tourism, driven by rising costs in the United States and the improving quality of care abroad.
—Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 2 Jan. 2026
From 2024 to 2025, the share of companies that allocated more than 40 percent of their marketing budgets to influencers dropped sharply from 24 percent to less than 12 percent, with more brands targeting niche creators and smaller overall campaigns.
—Rebecca Jennings, Vulture, 1 Jan. 2026
The stand-alone salad machines, which have sprouted up in office buildings, warehouses, airports, hospitals and on college campuses, have carved out a new niche in the fast-food and vending industries, with plenty of room for upside, according to at least one analyst.
—Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 1 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for niche
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Noun
The supply of antique diamonds is limited, so their audience will likely remain niche.
—Emilia Petrarca, New Yorker, 2 Jan. 2026
The search for hair restoration solutions has evolved from a niche cosmetic desire into a robust sector of medical tourism, driven by rising costs in the United States and the improving quality of care abroad.
—Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 2 Jan. 2026
From 2024 to 2025, the share of companies that allocated more than 40 percent of their marketing budgets to influencers dropped sharply from 24 percent to less than 12 percent, with more brands targeting niche creators and smaller overall campaigns.
—Rebecca Jennings, Vulture, 1 Jan. 2026
The stand-alone salad machines, which have sprouted up in office buildings, warehouses, airports, hospitals and on college campuses, have carved out a new niche in the fast-food and vending industries, with plenty of room for upside, according to at least one analyst.
—Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 1 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for niche
Cite this Entry
“Niche.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/niche. Accessed 5 Jan. 2026.
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