Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Jump To:
  • banda
    banda
    noun
    a style of Mexican dance music featuring brass instruments and having a heavy beat.
  • Banda
    Banda
    noun
    Hastings Kamuzu 1906–97, Malawi physician, political leader, and public official: 1st president of Malawi 1966–94.

banda

1 American  
[bahn-duh] / ˈbɑn də /

noun

  1. a style of Mexican dance music featuring brass instruments and having a heavy beat.


Banda 2 American  
[ban-duh] / ˈbæn də /

noun

  1. Hastings Kamuzu 1906–97, Malawi physician, political leader, and public official: 1st president of Malawi 1966–94.


Banda British  
/ ˈbændə /

noun

  1. Hastings Kamuzu (kæˈmuːzuː). 1906–97, Malawi statesman. As first prime minister of Nyasaland (from 1963), he led his country to independence (1964) as Malawi: president (1966–94)

"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

Etymology

Origin of banda

First recorded in 1990–95; from Mexican Spanish: literally, band 1 (in the sense of “group of musicians”)


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:

Reggaeton and banda music blared from the stores while I stocked up on the essentials: gold hoops, baseball hats and workwear to set me up in my new life.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 13, 2026

Chuy Lizarraga and José Angel Ledezma Quintero—popularly known as El Coyote—boast a combined 10 million monthly listeners on Spotify, but their latest venture isn’t named after a heartbreak ballad or a rural banda anthem.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 16, 2026

“This is very Pancho Barraza-style, especially with the venado shirt. I looked up old videos of him performing on YouTube. I do that a lot with these older banda looks,” Vallejo says.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 15, 2025

These videos are balm and inspiration for our dark times and they’re even better with a soundtrack — I’ve seen people remix them with jaunty Mexican banda classics such as “La Chona” or “El Sinaloense.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2025

In the light of the candle-lantern which he had brought from the banda, Bertram scrutinised their faces. 

From Cupid in Africa by P. C. Wren

Ora Banda generated A$121 million of operating cash flow and A$36 million of free cash flow in the quarter after investing in its projects.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

In Achharaund village, 20km from Banda town, the struggle is less about temperature than water.

From BBC ● Jun. 1, 2026

It notes peers including Ora Banda Mining and Bellevue Gold are trading at large premiums to Pantoro’s A$1.5 billion market value.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 13, 2026

Though he has yet to release an album, Eddyknew the audience would sing along to melodic corrido covers of Banda MS’ “A Lo Mejor” and Alejandro Sanz’s “Corazón Partío.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 16, 2026

But the opposition had still won, and unlike most African losers, Banda agreed to leave quietly and not start a war.

From "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind" by William Kamkwamba

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training