Dictionary

banana republic en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Etymology

Coined by American author O. Henry in 1901 in his short story Money Maze, set in the fictional "Anchuria", which was based on his 1896–97 stay in Honduras.

Meanings

1. (derogatory, idiomatic) A small country, especially one in Central America or the West Indies, that is dependent on a single export commodity (traditionally bananas) and that has a corrupt, dictatorial government.
   • At that time we had a treaty with about every foreign country except Belgium, and that banana republic, Anchuria. 1901 May 14, O. Henry, “Money Maze”, in Ainslee's Magazine, volume vii, number 4, New York, page 305:
   • The McCanns, it is hinted and sometimes expressed explicitly, cannot possibly be treated fairly under this inadequate Portuguese system. There is a touch of arrogant xenophobia here, as if Portugal was some backward banana republic […] 2007 September 10, Marcel Berlins, “Media have rushed to judge Portuguese police”, in The Guardian:
   • The banana workers of this former banana republic were exceptionally well organized and effective in their demands from the very beginning of the revolution. 2001, Cindy Forster, The Time of Freedom: Campesino Workers in Guatemala's October Revolution, University of Pittsburgh Press, →ISBN, page 117:

Forms

Hypernyms

kleptocracy

Relateds

Bananagate

Translations (74)

de Bananenrepublik (country) · yue 香蕉共和國 /香蕉共和国 (country) · el μπανανία (country) · tg ҷумҳурии банан (country) · sh banána-dr̀žava (country) · lo ສາທາລະນະລັດກ້ວຍ (country) · ckb کۆمارا مووزان (country) · uz banan respublikasi (country) · cy gweriniaeth fanana (country) · br republik ar bananez (country) · da bananstat (country) · ar جُمْهُورِيَّةُ الْمَوْزِ (country) · ru бана́новая респу́блика (country) · mk банана-држава (country) · af piesangrepubliek (country) · eu banana errepublika (country) · ro republică bananieră (country) · it repubblica delle banane (country) · id republik pisang (country) · tk banan respublikasy (country) · mk банана република (country) · cs banánová republika (country) · nl bananenrepubliek (country) · hy ադամաթզենու հանրապետություն (country) · uk бана́нова респу́бліка (country) · fa-ira جُمْهوریِ مُوْزی (country) · is bananalýðveldi (country) · ja バナナ共和国 (country) · sv bananrepublik (country) · sl bananska republika (country) · pt república das bananas (country) · tt банан республикасы (country) · hu banánköztársaság (country) · ms republik pisang (country) · mg fanjakana baroa (country) · nn bananrepublikk (country) · kmr komara mûzan (country) · fy bananerepublyk (country) · bg бана́нова репу́блика (country) · gl república bananeira (country) · sq republika e bananeve (country) · nb bananrepublikk (country) · th สาธารณรัฐกล้วย (country) · he רֶפּוּבְּלִיקַת בָּנָנוֹת (country) · lt bananinė respublika (country) · sl banana republika (country) · ky банан республикасы (country) · cmn 香蕉共和國 /香蕉共和国 (country) · tr muz cumhuriyeti (country) · ur بَنانا رِپَبْلِک (country) · vi cộng hoà chuối (country) · fi banaanivaltio (country) · ca república bananera (country) · be бана́навая рэспу́бліка (country) · fr république bananière (country) · lv banānu republika (country) · mg fanjakan' i Baroa (country) · ur جَمْہُورِیَہ کیلا (country) · hi केला गणतंत्र (country) · fi banaanitasavalta (country) · az banan respublikası (country) · sh бана́на-др̀жава (country) · sh banána repùblika (country) · kk банан республикасы (country) · es república bananera (country) · da bananrepublik (country) · eo bananrespubliko (country) · ko 바나나 공화국 (country) · hi बनाना रिपब्लिक (country) · ka ბანანის რესპუბლიკა (country) · sk banánová republika (country) · et banaanivabariik (country) · sh бана́на репу̀блика (country) · pl republika bananowa (country)