Myanmar

American  

[myahn-mahr, mee-uhn-mahr] / ˈmyɑn mɑr, ˈmi ən mɑr /

noun

1. a country in Southeast Asia, bordering on the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal; area 262, 000 sq. mi. (678,500 sq. km). Nay Pyi Taw.

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Myanmar British  

/ ˈmaɪænmɑː, ˈmjænmɑː /

noun

1. Official full name: the Union of Myanmar.  Former official name (until 1989, though still widely used): Burma.  a republic in SE Asia, on the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea: unified from small states in 1752; annexed by Britain (1823–85) and made a province of India in 1886; became independent in 1948. It is generally mountainous, with the basins of the Chindwin and Irrawaddy Rivers in the central part and the Irrawaddy delta in the south. Official language: Burmese. Religion: Buddhist majority. Currency: kyat. Capital: Yangon. Pop: 55 167 330 (2013 est). Area: 676 577 sq km (261 228 sq miles)

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Myanmar Cultural  

1. The official name for Burma since 1989.

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Usage

Due to a history of political and civil unrest, the official name of this country has been the subject of controversy. In 1989 the ruling military government changed the country’s name from Burma to Myanmar. The United Nations as well as almost all news organizations—including The New York Times, the Associated Press, and the BBC—adopted the new name. However, many pro-democracy groups and opponents of the government, both in-country and internationally, rejected the new name as illegitimate and continue to refer to the country as Burma. Both the U.S. Department of State and the CIA (for example, in its authoritative World Factbook ), as a matter of policy in support of democratic change, also continue to refer to the country as Burma.

Example Sentences

Beijing's embassy in Colombo said illicit activity in Sri Lanka had risen following enforcement actions in Cambodia, Myanmar as well as the United Arab Emirates.

From Barron's • May 17, 2026

Myanmar campaigners denounced on Tuesday US lobbyist Roger Stone, a close confidante of President Donald Trump, for accepting $50,000 a month to "rebuild" the Southeast Asian government's relations with Washington.

From Barron's • May 5, 2026

When she arrived back in Yangon in 1988 - to look after her critically ill mother - Myanmar was in the midst of major political upheaval.

From BBC • May 1, 2026

There’s no country worse off right now than Myanmar, where retail gas prices have roughly doubled in the same period, according to J.P.

From MarketWatch • May 1, 2026

An even more drastic linguistic upheaval must have swept over tropical Southeast Asia to the south of China—in Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Peninsular Malaysia.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond