Benin

UK: /bɛˈniːn/ US: (be nēn′)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

Be•nin  (be nēn′), n. 

1. Place Names Formerly, Dahomey. a republic in W Africa: formerly part of French West Africa;
   gained independence in 1960. 3,197,000;
   44,290 sq. mi. (114,711 sq. km). Cap.: Porto Novo.
2. Place Names Bight of, a bay in N Gulf of Guinea in W Africa.
3. Place Names a former native kingdom in W Africa: now incorporated into Nigeria.
4. Place Names a river in S Nigeria, flowing into the Bight of Benin.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

Benin / bɛˈniːn/ noun

1. a republic in W Africa, on the Bight of Benin, a section of the Gulf of Guinea: in the early 19th century a powerful kingdom, famed for its women warriors; became a French colony in 1893, gaining independence in 1960. It consists chiefly of coastal lagoons and swamps in the south, a fertile plain and marshes in the centre, and the Atakora Mountains in the northwest. Official language: French. Religion: Christianity, Islam, and animist. Currency: franc. Capital: Porto-Novo (the government is based in Cotonou). Pop: 11 175 692 (2017 est). Area: 112 622 sq km (43 474 sq miles)
   Former name (until 1975): Dahomey
2. a former kingdom of W Africa, powerful from the 14th to the 17th centuries: now a province of S Nigeria: noted for its bronzes