banana republic

American  

[buh-nan-uh ri-puhb-lik] / bəˈnæn ə rɪˈpʌb lɪk /

noun

Usually Disparaging.

1. a small, poor country, often reliant on a single export or limited resource, governed by an authoritarian regime and characterized by corruption and economic exploitation by foreign corporations conspiring with local government officials.

2. any exploitative government that functions poorly for its citizenry while disproportionately benefiting a corrupt elite group or individual.

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banana republic British  

noun

1. derogatory a small country, esp in Central America, that is politically unstable and has an economy dominated by foreign interest, usually dependent on one export, such as bananas

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Etymology

Origin of banana republic

Coined by O. Henry ( def. ) in his short-story collection Cabbages and Kings (1904); originally used to describe those agrarian countries of Central America dependent in the early 20th century on foreign investment in fruit exports

Example Sentences

The term "banana republic" derives from the fact that a US company, United Fruit, effectively ruled Guatemala for decades beginning in the 1930s.

From BBC • Sep. 19, 2024

“It’s much more complex than simply the banana republic image.”

From New York Times • Jun. 14, 2023

"Switzerland’s standing as a financial centre is shattered - the country will now be viewed as a financial banana republic," said Octavio Marenzi, CEO of Opimas in Vienna.

From Reuters • Mar. 19, 2023

“Here you have the Service thrown into a day that was crazy banana republic stuff,” said Bill Gage, a former counterassault agent in the Secret Service who protected presidents George W. Bush and Obama.

From Washington Post • Jul. 2, 2022

Sapiens by contrast is more like a banana republic dictator.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari