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

After an engineering apprenticeship, he left for the Burmese front as a Reuters correspondent.

From BBC • Apr. 17, 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

"You have an entire landscape of uncertainty and vulnerability and you have this 1,000-year-old tapestry of spells and medicines and occult knowledge that just has seeped into the Burmese consciousness."

From Barron's • Dec. 21, 2025

The writer George Orwell published a novel, Burmese Days, and several essays about life there.

From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline