Burmese

American  

[ber-meez, ‑-mees] / bərˈmiz, ‑ˈmis /

adjective

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

2. Burman.

---

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

---

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

Finland's Border Guard has also announced a "large-scale investigation" into an education agency which had offered to help some 350 Burmese students enrol in vocational schools across Finland, between 2022 and 2025.

From BBC • Jun. 12, 2026

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

From Science Daily • May 26, 2026

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

From Slate • Mar. 19, 2026

Mr. Dalrymple cites the example of U Ottama, also called Mahatma Ottama— “a short Buddhist monk with large ears and a scar on his forehead”—who yearned for Burmese union with India.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

When Frank’s vision cleared, a mottled brown Burmese python was coiled at his feet.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan