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

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

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

And yet such is the fear of possible retribution, or just exhaustion from the civil war, many Burmese people will still go to the polling stations, whatever their views of the election.

From BBC ● Dec. 26, 2025

The ancestors of modern speakers of Thai, Lao, and Burmese all moved south from South China and adjacent areas to their present locations within historical times, successively inundating the settled descendants of previous migrations.

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