Formerly Annamite. Formerly Annamese. the Austroasiatic language of Vietnam.
Sometimes Offensive. a native or inhabitant of Vietnam.
a native or inhabitant of Vietnam
the language of Vietnam, probably related to the Mon-Khmer languages
Some words that describe national or ethnic identities are acceptable as plural nouns, but are either rare or offensive in the singular. This is the case for Vietnamese. It’s sometimes acceptable as a plural noun (a candidate favored by Vietnamese ). However, it's sometimes offensive as a singular noun (the candidate who is a Vietnamese ). Such words are always perfectly appropriate as adjectives (strategies to get Vietnamese voters to the polls).
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Singapore precision-engineering company is planning to acquire three Vietnamese semiconductor-related businesses, which would diversify its production bases and complement its core precision machinery and semiconductor-equipment business, the analyst says.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
For me, that often means stopping by my local Vietnamese grocery store specifically for produce.
From Salon • May 22, 2026
The disgraced tycoon is serving a life sentence for embezzling from a major Vietnamese bank and has been ordered to return $27bn in reparations.
From BBC • May 21, 2026
Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will meet top Vietnamese leaders in Hanoi on Saturday, with Japanese media saying she will make a speech touting a "free and open" Indo-Pacific region.
From Barron's • May 2, 2026
Fires raged and the roads out of Saigon were jammed with refugees and water buffaloes pulling overloaded carts and crying children searching for parents and retreating South Vietnamese soldiers.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
