Khmer Rouge

American  

[kmair roozh, kuh-mair] / ˈkmɛər ˈruʒ, kəˈmɛər /

noun

Khmers Rouges plural

1. a Cambodian guerrilla and rebel force and political opposition movement, originally Communist and Communist-backed.

2. a member or supporter of this force.

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Khmer Rouge British  

/ ruːʒ /

noun

1. the Kampuchean communist party, which seized power (1975) in a civil war: in exile since 1979, dispersed in 1999

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Khmer Rouge Cultural  

1. The communist movement in Kampuchea (Cambodia) in Southeast Asia. It came to power in 1975.

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Led by Pol Pot, the Khmer Rouge, after it came to power, instituted one of the worst examples of genocide in world history. Estimates of the number of people killed under this regime vary from two million to four million.

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• Khmers Rouges
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Khmer Rouge

< French Khmer (or Khmère ) rouge literally, red Khmer

Example Sentences

Experts say the trade thrived from the mid-1960s to the 1990s -- a period of instability that saw the anti-intellectual Khmer Rouge regime rise to power and left precious heritage unprotected.

From Barron's • Feb. 27, 2026

For hours, Sothea had patiently answered my questions, getting emotional only when he told me about life under the Khmer Rouge.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 8, 2025

Tep Vong was key to the rejuvenation of Buddhism in Cambodia after the communist Khmer Rouge during their 1975-79 rule tried to eradicate all organized religion.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 26, 2024

He was best known for his work as a foreign correspondent, including reporting on the Vietnam War, Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge, and from the United States during the turmoil of the 1960s and 1970s.

From BBC • Dec. 31, 2023

The Khmer Rouge believes one individual should not have what the rest of the country does not have.

From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung