bantustan

B3A1N1T1U1S1T1A1N1
UK/ˌbantuːˈstan/UK/ˌbantuːˈstɑːn/US/ˌbæntuˈstæn/US/ˌbɑntuˈstɑn/

noun

Any of ten former territories defined as homelands for black South Africans under apartheid policy

OriginBantu ← Proto-Bantu *bantʊ̀ →
Scrabble 11
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Meanings

bantustan1

nounbantustan (plural bantustans)

plural bantustans · alternative Bantustan

  1. historicalAny of ten former territories defined as homelands for black South Africans under apartheid policy
  2. derogatoryA political entity reminiscent of the old apartheid-era territories of the same name.

Bantustan2

nounBantustan (plural Bantustans)

plural Bantustans

  1. Alternative letter-case form of bantustan

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
homeland

Origin

  1. Proto-Bantu*bantʊ̀“people”
  2. Bantu
  3. Englishbantustan

From a Bantu language (ultimately from Proto-Bantu *bantʊ̀ (“people”)) + -stan (“home of”, suffix of Persian origin), after place names such as Hindustan.

More words from Bantu, Proto-Bantu

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans bantoestan
  • bantoestanterritory defined as a homeland for black South Africans
Arabic بَانْتُوسْتَان
  • بَانْتُوسْتَان (bāntūstān)territory defined as a homeland for black South Africans
Chinese Mandarin 班圖斯坦 /班图斯坦
  • 班圖斯坦 /班图斯坦 (bāntúsītǎn)territory defined as a homeland for black South Africans
Finnish bantustan
  • bantustanterritory defined as a homeland for black South Africans
French bantoustan
  • bantoustanterritory defined as a homeland for black South Africans
German Bantustan
  • Bantustanterritory defined as a homeland for black South Africans
Hindi बांटूस्तान
  • बांटूस्तान (bāṇṭūstān)territory defined as a homeland for black South Africans
Italian bantustan
  • bantustanterritory defined as a homeland for black South Africans
Japanese バントゥースタン
  • バントゥースタン (bantūsutan)territory defined as a homeland for black South Africans
Korean 반투스탄
  • 반투스탄 (bantuseutan)territory defined as a homeland for black South Africans
Polish bantustan
  • bantustanterritory defined as a homeland for black South Africans
Portuguese bantustão
  • bantustãoterritory defined as a homeland for black South Africans
Romanian bantustan
  • bantustanterritory defined as a homeland for black South Africans
Russian бантуста́н
  • бантуста́н (bantustán)territory defined as a homeland for black South Africans
Tamil பந்துஸ்தான், பந்துசுத்தான்
  • பந்துஸ்தான் (pantustāṉ)territory defined as a homeland for black South Africans
  • பந்துசுத்தான் (pantucuttāṉ)territory defined as a homeland for black South Africans

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with bantustan

anthanjanmanplanjapanvanfangoneanndanIranjeanpanTaiwanPakistanAnnescanranLANbanjuantanspan
All rhymes →

Anagrams

subnatant
Cite this entry
APA

bantustan. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bantustan

MLA

“bantustan.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bantustan. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bantustan,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bantustan.

Source: bantustan on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.