Benin

American  

[be-neen] / bɛˌnin /

noun

1. Formerly Dahomey.  a republic in W Africa: formerly part of French West Africa; gained independence in 1960. 44,290 sq. mi. (114,711 sq. km). Porto Novo.

2. Bight of, a bay in N Gulf of Guinea in W Africa.

3. a former native kingdom in W Africa: now incorporated into Nigeria.

4. a river in S Nigeria, flowing into the Bight of Benin.

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Benin British  

/ bɛˈniːn /

noun

1. Former name (until 1975): Dahomey.  a republic in W Africa, on the Bight of Benin , a section of the Gulf of Guinea: in the early 19th century a powerful kingdom, famed for its women warriors; became a French colony in 1893, gaining independence in 1960. It consists chiefly of coastal lagoons and swamps in the south, a fertile plain and marshes in the centre, and the Atakora Mountains in the northwest. Official language: French. Religion: animist majority. Currency: franc. Capital: Porto Novo (the government is based in Cotonou). Pop: 9 877 292 (2013 est). Area: 112 622 sq km (43 474 sq miles)

2. a former kingdom of W Africa, powerful from the 14th to the 17th centuries: now a province of S Nigeria: noted for its bronzes

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Example Sentences

The following year, Ekubo received an honorary doctorate in arts and culture from the Institut Supérieur de Communication et de Gestion in Benin.

From BBC • May 13, 2026

There’s also an opportunity for deeper security partnerships with other nearby countries, including Mauritania, Ghana, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

Seba, whose real name is Stellio Gilles Robert Capo Chichi, is wanted in Benin on charges of "inciting rebellion" after supporting last year's foiled coup there.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

Nicknamed "RoW" by supporters, he was born on June 20, 1976 in Lokossa in southwestern Benin, near the border with Togo.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

Those two weeks felt longer than the eight months I had spent at Benin Home.

From "A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier" by Ishmael Beah