minibus

American

[min-ee-buhs] / ˈmɪn iˌbʌs /

noun

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

minibus British

/ ˈmɪnɪˌbʌs /

noun

a small bus able to carry approximately ten passengers

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

minibus minibuses

At gone 22:00 BST on Monday night, there was still a minibus full of ministerial wannabes inside Downing Street waiting for their new positions to be confirmed.

From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026

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

So we got out of the first car and climbed into the minibus.

From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah

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

Taxis and minibuses zip past, taking the new arrivals to the airport in the nearest city, Van, a two-hour drive away on a highway between snowcapped mountains.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 22, 2026

The club runs a network of minibuses so youngsters aren't dependent on parents or public transport to make it to training.

From BBC ● Feb. 5, 2025

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

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023