Burma

American  

[bur-muh] / ˈbɜr mə /

noun

1. a country in Southeast Asia, renamed Myanmar in 1989.

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Burma British  

/ ˈbɜːmə /

noun

1. the former official name (until 1989, though still widely used) of Myanmar

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Burma Cultural  

1. Republic in Southeast Asia, now officially known as Myanmar, bordered by Bangladesh, India, and the Bay of Bengal to the west; China to the north and northeast; Laos and Thailand to the east; and the Andaman Sea to the south. Rangoon is its capital and largest city.

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Usage

See Myanmar.

Discover More

Run by its military in the 1970s and 1980s, Burma saw its economy decline. Free elections in 1990 were won by the main opposition party, but the military government refused to relinquish its powers.

During World War II, the Allies and Japanese troops fought intense campaigns over control of the Burma Road, a vital supply link between China and India.

Under British control until 1948, it then became an independent republic.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Burma

Growing up with diplomat parents, Martens lived in communist countries such as Romania and Burma, now also called Myanmar.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026

"Sat in his dining room with a cup of tea Gwen had made, Harry told me just a small portion of his many many experiences whilst fighting in Burma," Liston said.

From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026

Skulls and bones belonging to the Naga people of northeastern India and Myanmar - formerly known as Burma - have been displayed at the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford for more than a century.

From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026

This epistle is full of affection, respect and especially decency—that word George Orwell found best to describe the British people after he had returned from Burma and then watched his nation go to war.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 27, 2026

The next day, it invaded Burma; a few days later, British Borneo.

From "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand