minivan

American

[min-ee-van] / ˈmɪn iˌvæn /

Or mini-van

noun

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.

minivan British

/ ˈmɪnɪˌvæn /

noun

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

Etymology

Origin of minivan

mini- + van ²

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.

Ten years ago, it sold two sedans in addition to its minivan.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

A Toyota Voxy minivan with tinted windows slid behind Ashaal’s SUV, then gave a burst of speed to zoom ahead and block his path.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

He chauffeurs them around in a rental minivan.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 11, 2026

As a kid rumbling by “the Joey P” in the backseat of my mom’s minivan, I never thought about what it really means to decorate a warship for Christmas.

From Salon • Dec. 24, 2025

My mom walked by with a box of clothing to put in the minivan.

From "Crenshaw" by Katherine Applegate

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