Bantu
noun
Ban·tu
ˈban-(ˌ)tü 
ˈbän-
ˈbän-
plural Bantu or Bantus
1
: a family of Niger-Congo languages spoken in central and southern Africa
2
: a member of any of a group of African peoples who speak Bantu languages
Examples of Bantu in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The New York Times reported that the thief wrote their message in Luganda, a Bantu language of Uganda.
—
Angie Orellana Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2024
How Hunter-Gatherers Learned Language For instance, scientists suspect that hunter-gathers in the Congo Basin absorbed languages from their farming neighbors, the Bantu.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 29 May 2024
The Bantu language used in the two emails to The Times is clunky in spots, according to a translator who reviewed the emails, while the English of the court documents the company has filed has been fluent.
—Matt Stevens, New York Times, 28 May 2024
His career began with freelancing for South African publications like Drum and Bantu World.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 May 2024
If signed into law, the act would prohibit discrimination based on hairstyle or hair texture that is coiled or tightly curled — including locs, cornrows, twists, braids, Bantu knots, Afros or any other hairstyle that is commonly associated with a race or national origin.
—Jonathan Franklin, NPR, 3 May 2024
In Bantu culture, Salim explains, the two balance each other.
—Megan Farokhmanesh, WIRED, 2 Apr. 2024
Although the language of each law differs across the states that draft them, CROWN Act laws generally prohibit discrimination based on hairstyles that are commonly associated with a particular race or culture, including Black hairstyles like locs, braids or Bantu knots.
—Chandelis Duster, CNN, 22 Feb. 2024
The title beast’s intermittent narration shifts at various points from Afrikaans to the Namibian Bantu language Mbukushu to Castilian, often accompanied by his fellow hippos grunting and mooing.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Feb. 2024
Angie Orellana Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2024
How Hunter-Gatherers Learned Language For instance, scientists suspect that hunter-gathers in the Congo Basin absorbed languages from their farming neighbors, the Bantu.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 29 May 2024
The Bantu language used in the two emails to The Times is clunky in spots, according to a translator who reviewed the emails, while the English of the court documents the company has filed has been fluent.
—Matt Stevens, New York Times, 28 May 2024
His career began with freelancing for South African publications like Drum and Bantu World.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 May 2024
If signed into law, the act would prohibit discrimination based on hairstyle or hair texture that is coiled or tightly curled — including locs, cornrows, twists, braids, Bantu knots, Afros or any other hairstyle that is commonly associated with a race or national origin.
—Jonathan Franklin, NPR, 3 May 2024
In Bantu culture, Salim explains, the two balance each other.
—Megan Farokhmanesh, WIRED, 2 Apr. 2024
Although the language of each law differs across the states that draft them, CROWN Act laws generally prohibit discrimination based on hairstyles that are commonly associated with a particular race or culture, including Black hairstyles like locs, braids or Bantu knots.
—Chandelis Duster, CNN, 22 Feb. 2024
The title beast’s intermittent narration shifts at various points from Afrikaans to the Namibian Bantu language Mbukushu to Castilian, often accompanied by his fellow hippos grunting and mooing.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Bantu.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near Bantu
Cite this Entry
“Bantu.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Bantu. Accessed 12 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Bantu
noun
Ban·tu
ˈban-(ˌ)tü
ˈbän-
ˈbän-
plural Bantu or Bantus
1
: a group of African languages spoken in central and southern Africa
2
: a member of any of a group of African peoples who speak Bantu languages
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