Banana-republic definition

A small country that is economically dependent on a single export commodity, such as bananas, and is typically governed by a dictator or the armed forces.
noun
0
0
Any small, typically Latin American, country characterized by political instability and a one-crop economy controlled by foreign capital.
noun
0
0
(politics, idiomatic) A small country, especially one in Central America, that is dependent on a single export commodity (traditionally bananas) and that has a corrupt, dictatorial government.
noun
0
0
Advertisement

Other Word Forms

Noun

Singular:
banana-republic
Plural:
banana-republics

Origin of banana-republic

  • Coined by American author O. Henry in his 1904 book of short stories, "Cabbages and Kings", set in the fictional "Anchuria", which was based on his 1896-97 stay in Honduras.

    From Wiktionary

Banana-republic Sentence Examples

  • The woman who presided over a voting failure that would disgrace a banana republic has gone.

  • Janie and Jack is sometimes referred to as the Banana Republic of children's clothes.

  • Old Navy is owned by the same company that owns Gap and Banana Republic.

  • Election posters -- showing only one visage in banana republic fashion -- banner forth the supremacist politics of an ambitious neighbor.

  • Many teens and their parents think that stores such as Gap and Banana Republic are off limits, simply because their prices are too expensive.

More sentences

Related articles

Words near banana-republic in the Dictionary