Laotian

American  

[ley-oh-shuhn, lou-shuhn] / leɪˈoʊ ʃən, ˈlaʊ ʃən /

noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Laos.

2. Lao.

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adjective

1. of or relating to Laos, its people, or their language.

Laotian British  

/ laʊ, ˈlaʊʃɪən /

noun

1. a member of a Buddhist people of Laos and NE Thailand, related to the Thais

2. the language of this people, closely related to Thai

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adjective

1. of or relating to this people or their language or to Laos

Other Word Forms

• anti-Laotian adjective
• pro-Laotian adjective

Etymology

Origin of Laotian

< French laotien; see Laos, -ian

Example Sentences

The usually sleepy Laotian capital Vientiane has an uncharacteristic buzz, bedecked with flags and T-shirt vendors ahead of commemorations of 50 years of communist rule Tuesday, but for many young people history carries little weight.

From Barron's • Dec. 1, 2025

Indeed, the number of Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Laotian people killed by land mines and unexploded ordnance just since the war ended exceeds the some 58,000 American personnel who died during the war itself.

From Slate • Apr. 30, 2025

Cambodian, Laotian, Vietnamese and Hmong refugees are “the human legacies of the wars in which the U.S. was implicated.”

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 7, 2024

Laotian authorities have promised to investigate the cause of the deaths, which have cast a spotlight on a popular backpacking town.

From BBC • Nov. 26, 2024

He wasn’t sure just what it was, but it looked like they meant to mount a huge attack on Khe Sanh, the American base next to the Laotian border.

From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge