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

Burmese plural

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 ).

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• Burmese
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Burmese

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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Burmese

"They can remove the statues, but they can never erase Bogyoke's image," one Yangon resident said, using the Burmese word for general to describe Aung San.

From Barron's ● Jul. 18, 2026

Burmese pythons and brown anoles, both invasive species in the US, are known carriers of Ro.

From Science Daily ● May 26, 2026

The British, Swedish and Burmese delegates explained why: Nuclear fuel-making was too close to bomb-making ever to be “peaceful.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 14, 2026

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

From Slate ● Mar. 19, 2026

At a deli we buy stuffed grape leaves and hot wings and Burmese beer and eat quickly with our hands on someone’s overheated stoop.

From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee