plural Khmer or Khmers
1
: a member of an aboriginal people of Cambodia
2
: the Mon-Khmer language of the Khmer people that is the official language of Cambodia
Khmer adjective

Examples of Khmer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In a country where Khmer Rouge leaders were prosecuted on Cambodian soil while former soldiers continue to live beside survivors, healing is remembrance. Victoria Bousis, Rolling Stone, 22 May 2025 Notable Vietnamese American leaders who emerged include Viet Thanh Nguyen, Pulitzer Prize-winning author, and Joseph Cao, the first Vietnamese American elected to Congress, both refugees. Cambodian Americans, fleeing the Khmer Rouge genocide, faced unique discrimination rooted in severe trauma. Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 17 May 2025 The government doesn’t encourage remembrance of the day Phnom Penh fell to the Khmer Rouge. Sophal Ear, The Conversation, 14 Apr. 2025 In two weeks, guests will visit UNESCO sites like Luang Prabang, witness elephants in their natural habitats, attend an intimate Baci ceremony led by a Lao prince, attend a private fashion show from one of Cambodia’s top designers, take a helicopter tour over the Khmer temples of Angkor, and more. Opheli Garcia Lawler, Travel + Leisure, 8 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for Khmer

Word History

Etymology

northern or western dialect Khmer khmε:r, a self-designation (standard Khmer khmaε)

First Known Use

1881, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Khmer was in 1881

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Khmer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Khmer. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

Khmer

noun
: a member of an aboriginal people of Cambodia

More from Merriam-Webster on Khmer

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