Balinese

American  

[bah-luh-neez, -nees, bal-uh-] / ˌbɑ ləˈniz, -ˈnis, ˌbæl ə- /

adjective

1. of or relating to Bali, its people, or their language.

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noun

plural

Balinese

1. a native or inhabitant of Bali.

2. the language of Bali, an Indonesian language of the Austronesian family.

balinese British  

/ ˌbɑːlɪˈniːz /

adjective

1. of or relating to Bali, its people, or their language

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noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Bali

2. the language of the people of Bali, belonging to the Malayo-Polynesian family

3. See Balinese cat

Usage

Balinese is used as a plural noun (a candidate favored by the Balinese ), but it's relatively rare as a singular noun (the candidate who is a Balinese ).

Etymology

Origin of Balinese

First recorded in 1810–20; from Dutch Balinees, equivalent to Bali Bali + -n- connective + -ees -ese

Example Sentences

"It's the Balinese Hindu culture that has created this myth of the place."

From BBC • Sep. 27, 2025

Local resentment is rising, with social media vigilantes putting misbehaving tourists on blast - even as the Balinese maintain their world-famous hospitality.

From BBC • Sep. 27, 2025

The team, which comprised musicologists, psychologists, linguists, evolutionary biologists and professional musicians, recorded songs in 55 languages, including Arabic, Balinese, Basque, Cherokee, Maori, Ukrainian and Yoruba.

From New York Times • May 15, 2024

Still, I didn’t even learn the two most important words in Balinese — please and thank you.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 10, 2023

Where The Beades had plundered music hall, centuries-old Anglo-Celtic folk and the sounds of the 1960s electronic avant- garde, Steve Reich derived his inspirations from African drumming and Balinese gamelan music.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall