minibus

American  

[min-ee-buhs] / ˈmɪn iˌbʌs /

noun

• minibuses
  plural

1. a small bus, seating about 15 passengers and typically transporting people short distances.

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minibus British  

/ ˈmɪnɪˌbʌs /

noun

1. a small bus able to carry approximately ten passengers

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• minibuses
  plural

Etymology

Origin of minibus

1840–50; mini- + bus ¹; the 19th-century word, meaning “small carriage,” perhaps mini(mum) + (omni)bus

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

minibus minibuses

At that point, a train was heading through Buggenhout and ran into the minibus, she explained.

From BBC ● May 26, 2026

Fabio Gutierrez, a 34-year-old minibus driver, spent over $1,000 to repair the damage caused to his engine by the substandard fuel.

From Barron's ● May 20, 2026

They were living, working, eating and sleeping in a space about the same size as a minibus.

From BBC ● Apr. 11, 2026

A survey by the union found one in four teachers had been pressured into driving a minibus.

From BBC ● Mar. 23, 2026

They peer into the back of the minibus, scanning our faces, then wave us on.

From "Without Refuge" by Jane Mitchell

A constant stream of minibuses and cars honk their horns on a potholed road that is surrounded by dilapidated buildings.

From Barron's ● Apr. 22, 2026

On the seventh day, all the remaining hostages were transferred from their planes onto minibuses.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 3, 2026

"Back then, people caught minibuses to Libya as casually as if they were travelling to another town in Egypt."

From Barron's ● Feb. 18, 2026

After one full season, a second home mortgage and multiple credit cards, White’s fleet has grown to 10 vehicles: minibuses, transit vans, trolleys, minivans, transporters.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 29, 2024

I saw roads choked with dilapidated cars, motorcycle rickshaws, and battered minibuses that served as public transportation.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French