1
: any of numerous small domestic fowls that are often miniatures of members of the standard breeds
2
: a person of diminutive stature and often combative disposition
1
: small, diminutive
2
: pertly combative
Examples of bantam in a Sentence
Adjective
a bantam comedian who is known to fellow performers for his oversize ego
Recent Examples on the Web
J.m. Banks, Kansas City Star, 30 May 2025
Garry Davidson didn’t really get introduced to Ben Kindel’s game until a breakout performance at the John Reid Memorial Tournament, a big bantam showcase in St. Albert, Alta.
—Scott Wheeler, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
Tim MacWelch, Outdoor Life, 9 Sep. 2019
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Noun
Inside the big canvas structure, visitors find giant hares — that’s a rabbit — lizards, bantam chickens, chinchillas and hedgehogs, many of which are being seen for the first time by curious children.
—J.m. Banks, Kansas City Star, 30 May 2025
Garry Davidson didn’t really get introduced to Ben Kindel’s game until a breakout performance at the John Reid Memorial Tournament, a big bantam showcase in St. Albert, Alta.
—Scott Wheeler, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
Tipping the scales at a bantam weight of only 1.14 pounds, and less than a foot long, even the gram-conscious minimalists have to take notice.
—Tim MacWelch, Outdoor Life, 9 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for bantam
Cite this Entry
“Bantam.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bantam. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationGeographical Definition
Bantam
geographical name
Ban·tam
ˈban-təm 
former town of Indonesia in the northwestern corner of Java; once capital of the Sultanate of Bantam
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