Sinhalese

noun

Sin·​ha·​lese ˌsiŋ-gə-ˈlēz How to pronounce Sinhalese (audio)
ˌsin-(h)ə-,
-ˈlēs
variants or Singhalese
plural Sinhalese or Singhalese
1
: a member of a people that inhabit Sri Lanka and form a major part of its population
2
: the Indo-Aryan language of the Sinhalese people
Sinhalese adjective
or Singhalese

Examples of Sinhalese in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Through the imposition of Sinhalese as the official language and Buddhism as the official religion, a deep division was created, provoking protests by the Tamils, peaceful at first but increasingly violent when crushed by the state. Ramachandra Guha, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024 Wouldn’t the world be a much more peaceful place if the Kurds would just agree to speak Arabic or Turkish, if Sri Lanka’s Tamils would consent to speak Sinhalese, and if the Armenians would switch to Azerbaijani (or vice versa)? Jared Diamond, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Sinhalese.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Sinhalese was in 1598

Dictionary Entries Near Sinhalese

Cite this Entry

“Sinhalese.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Sinhalese. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on Sinhalese

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