Bantu

noun

Ban·​tu ˈban-(ˌ)tü  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 54-year-old actress styled her blonde hair in Bantu knots and accessorized with diamond stud earrings. — Juliana Ukiomogbe, InStyle, 18 Aug. 2026

These inhabitants were eventually displaced by the hunter-gatherer Khoisan and later by Bantu-speaking peoples, with the Batoka tribe becoming dominant. — Sarah Kingdom, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026

In the press box at halftime, Congolese journos exhort the team in French and Lingala, a Bantu language native to their homeland. — Franklin Leonard, Vanity Fair, 14 May 2026

Influenced by Spanish as well as Bantu languages, Palenquero emerged as a means of communication among people who had been brought to the region from different parts of Africa. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

ba-, a plural noun classifier + -ntu, noun base meaning "person" in several Bantu languages

First Known Use

1862, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

Bantu

noun

Ban·​tu ˈban-(ˌ)tü  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