Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

Baniva

noun
Ba·​ni·​va | \bə-ˈnē-və\
variants: or less commonly Baniwa \ bə-​ˈnē-​və \
plural Baniva or Banivas

Definition of Baniva 

1a : an Arawakan people of the upper Orinoco and Río Negro, Venezuela and Colombia

b : a member of such people

2 : the language of the Baniva people

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

  • More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
  • Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
  • Advanced search features
  • Ad free!

History and Etymology for Baniva

Spanish baniva, of American Indian origin

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about Baniva

Dictionary Entries near Baniva

banig

banish

banister

Baniva

baniya

Banja Luka

Banjarmasin

Statistics for Baniva

Look-up Popularity

Comments on Baniva

What made you want to look up Baniva? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

Show Comments  Hide Comments 

WORD OF THE DAY

noisome

noxious or harmful

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Test Your Vocabulary

A Thanksgiving Word Quiz

  • a-traditional-thanksgiving-dinner
  • November comes from a word for which of the following numbers?
Spell It

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

TAKE THE QUIZ
SCRABBLE® Sprint

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games