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

Dow has designated its chief operating officer, Karen Carter, to succeed Jim Fitterling as the chemical maker’s chief executive, effective July 1.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

Karen struggles with phone addiction, noting a psychologist’s advice on habits over willpower.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

Pratt filed to run for mayor in February and was in second place behind Mayor Karen Bass in a recent poll by the Luskin school.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

Karen Jones, who works in the local café Food for Thought, says it's the quietest she's known Cardigan to be in the four years she's worked here.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

“Someone ought to cheer for Daddy,” Karen said.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy