minivan

American  

[min-ee-van] / ˈmɪn iˌvæn /

Or mini-van

noun

• minivans
  plural

1. a small passenger van, somewhat larger than a station wagon, typically with side or rear windows and rear seats that can be removed for hauling small loads.

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minivan British  

/ ˈmɪnɪˌvæn /

noun

1. a small van, esp one with seats in the back for carrying passengers

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• minivans
  plural

Etymology

Origin of minivan

mini- + van ²

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

minivan minivans

Officers were subsequently able to use automated license plate readers to identify the minivan and two addresses, one in Anaheim and another in Fountain Valley, that were associated with it, Garcia said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

DHS said the post depicted Harjinder Singh, an Indian truck driver accused of causing a fatal crash last year that left three people dead after his 18-wheeler collided with their minivan in Florida.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

The vehicle appeared to be "akin to a minivan or small SUV", Nath said.

From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026

Earlier this year, it killed its U.S. plug-in hybrids, which had been offered on the Chrysler Pacifica minivan and the Jeep Wrangler SUV.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026

I turn around and Carmen, Lola, and Luisa are piling out of a minivan.

From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko

Haaland and his friends spent every weekend morning on that turf field, partly because they weren’t spending weekends in the back of minivans.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

Clearly, these influences have been on Coffin’s mind since long before there was a Minions sticker on half the minivans at school drop-off.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026

For the majority of the hostages, the spectacle marked the end of their ordeal, their minivans ferrying them to a hotel in Amman en route to their release.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 3, 2026

The recall covers certain 2018 and 2019 Honda Pilot SUVs and Odyssey minivans and some 2017 and 2019 Ridgeline pickup trucks.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 17, 2023

People still made their yards look like something from an ad for minivans, life insurance, or weed killer.

From "Landscape with Invisible Hand" by M.T. Anderson