minivan

noun

mini·​van ˈmi-nē-ˌvan How to pronounce minivan (audio)
Synonyms of minivannext
: a small passenger van

Examples of minivan in a Sentence

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.
After testing multiple new hatchbacks, sedans, minivans, cargo vans, family SUVs and more, here are my top 10 best new vehicles of 2026 so far based on my driving impressions, rankings and overall value propositions. — Charles Singh, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026 Its fleet includes the newer, roomier Ojai vehicles based on a Zeekr minivan-style chassis. — Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026 Nissan makes Leaf electric cars and Infiniti luxury models, while Honda makes the Accord sedan, Civic compact and Odyssey minivan. — ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026 William Roberson Anyone dismissing the Slingshot (in any form) on practicality grounds is missing the point by a light year or two - the Slingshot makes a Miata seem like a spacious minivan. — William Roberson, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for minivan

Word History

First Known Use

1959, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of minivan was in 1959

Rhymes for minivan

See All Rhymes for minivan

Browse Nearby Words

minium
minivan
miniver
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Minivan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/minivan. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

minivan

noun
mini·​van ˈmin-ē-ˌvan How to pronounce minivan (audio)
: a small passenger van

More from Merriam-Webster on minivan

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for minivan

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of apiary

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All