Showing results for minivan. Search instead for mini-van.

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.

Thus far, Phillips has sold only one vehicle on Amazon in the past month and a half, a $55,000 Kia Carnival minivan.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

The Pacifica has been America’s top-selling minivan for years.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

The company said that the ride-hailing service will use an autonomous electric minivan from Volkswagen called the ID.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 24, 2026

He later enrolled in — then dropped out of — an engineering program at UC Berkeley and moved into his mom’s old minivan, which he’d take to go climbing in Joshua Tree, he wrote.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 23, 2026

Hazel’s eyes went to the dashboard of the minivan.

From "Breadcrumbs" by Anne Ursu

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