Karen

¹ American  

[kuh-ren] / kəˈrɛn /

noun

plural

Karens,

plural

Karen

1. a group of people of eastern and southern Myanmar (Burma).

2. one of these people.

3. the language of the Karen, a Tibeto-Burman language of the Sino-Tibetan family.

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adjective

1. of or relating to the Karen people or their language.

Karen ² American  

[kar-uhn, kahr-] / ˈkær ən, ˈkɑr- /

noun

1. Also Karin a first name, form of Katherine.

2. Informal: Disparaging.

   1. a white, usually middle-class woman who is rude, demanding, and aggressive toward other people, particularly customer service workers.

   2. a person acting in an aggressive, entitled, rude way.

      He went full Karen on the poor store manager and threatened to get her fired.

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Karen British  

/ kəˈrɛn /

noun

1. a member of a Thai people of Myanmar

2. the language of this people, probably related to Thai and belonging to the Sino-Tibetan family

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Example Sentences

High-school students such as Karen Aparicio Acosta are getting their nursing certificates to secure a job after graduation.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 11, 2026

In March, Mayor Karen Bass announced a plan to repair and replace up to 60,000 streetlights by harnessing solar power technology, so they’d no longer be reliant on the copper wire that keeps getting stolen.

From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026

Two years later, real estate developer Rick Caruso spent more than $100 million in an effort to become Los Angeles mayor but lost handily to Karen Bass.

From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026

Karen Hauer, the show's longest-serving female pro, has departed after 14 years.

From BBC • May 6, 2026

“Mama thinks you eat like a pig, Daddy. She’s just trying to help you develop good table manners,” Karen said.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy