Khmer

noun

kə-ˈmer 

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

More than 200 Cambodians gathered recently at Cal State Long Beach to celebrate the launch of the Khmer Movement for Democracy, led by the political exile Mu Sochua. —Jireh Deng, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024

Beginning in the ’70s, Cambodia endured a period of war and suffered under the cruel Khmer Rouge regime, which rendered the region vulnerable to archaeological looting. —Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Dec. 2023

Consider what happened in 1975 when forces from the Khmer Rouge, the Communist group in Cambodia, captured the merchant vessel Mayaguez and its 39 American crewmembers. —Dominic Tierney, Foreign Affairs, 25 Mar. 2024

The same thing happened in Cambodia, when the Khmer Rouge were in power, and elsewhere. —Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 11 Mar. 2024

The Post was founded on a shoestring by Americans Michael Hayes and Kathleen O'Keefe as Cambodia, with U.N. help, sought to recover from the devastation wrought by the brutal rule of the Khmer Rouge in the late 1970s. —Sopheng Cheang The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 3 Mar. 2024

The Khmer empire ruled much of what is now Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam from about 802 to 1431. —Ginger Adams Otis, WSJ, 15 Dec. 2023

The sole offering at Nika is a traditional Khmer massage, a centuries-old technique incorporating stretching and pressure points for a restorative experience. —Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Feb. 2024

In 2021, The Washington Post detailed Latchford’s role in the widespread ransacking of ancient Khmer sites, considered one of the worst cultural thefts of the 20th century, as part of the Pandora Papers reporting with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. —Peter Whoriskey, Washington Post, 15 Dec. 2023

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

Phrases Containing Khmer

• Mon-Khmer

Kids Definition

Khmer

noun

kə-ˈme(ə)r 

: a member of a native people of Cambodia