Burmese

American  

[ber-meez, ‑-mees] / bərˈmiz, ‑ˈmis /

adjective

1. of or relating to Burma (now Myanmar), its inhabitants, or their language.

2. Burman.

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noun

plural

Burmese

1. a native or inhabitant of Burma (now Myanmar).

2. Burman.

3. the Tibeto-Burman language of the Burman ethnic group: the official language of Burma (now Myanmar).

Burmese British  

/ bɜːˈmiːz /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Burma (Myanmar), its people, or their language

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noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Burma (Myanmar)

2. the official language of Burma (Myanmar), belonging to the Sino-Tibetan family

Usage

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

Etymology

Origin of Burmese

First recorded in 1815–25; Burm(a) + -ese

Example Sentences

Burmese TPS holders are waiting anxiously to see how these rulings could impact TPS altogether.

From Slate • Mar. 19, 2026

“As much as I would like to pay $30, we don’t have money,” says Moe Chan, who is trying to expand his Burmese coffee-and-tea distribution business in Queens.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

Judge Michael Davis voiced alarm about a Burmese refugee arrested by ICE Jan. 10 and quickly transferred to Texas.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

Following a 16-day operation, "on 16 October, Tatmadaw reoccupied Hsipaw completely," the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper said, referring to the military by its Burmese name.

From Barron's • Oct. 18, 2025

But this alligator and this Burmese python didn’t seem to want to eat each other.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz