Vientiane

American

[vyen-tyahn] / vjɛnˈtjɑn /

noun

a city in and the capital of Laos, on the Mekong River, in the NW part.

Vientiane British

/ ˌvjɛntɪˈɑːn, wiːɛŋtæn /

noun

the administrative capital of Laos, in the south near the border with Thailand: capital of the kingdom of Vientiane from 1707 until taken by the Thais in 1827. Pop: 776 000 (2005 est)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

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Vientiane

"Vietnam also wants to import more electricity from Laos to increase its leverage over Laos," part of a wider contest with China for influence in Vientiane, he said.

From Barron's ● Sep. 13, 2026

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

The two Australian victims died after being transferred to a hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, while Ms White was treated in Vientiane, the capital of Laos.

From BBC ● Nov. 22, 2024

Nestled among the mountains of northern Laos, Luang Prabang was the capital from the 14th to the 16th century before it was moved to Vientiane.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 31, 2024

Less wary, he meandered sinuously until he made his way close to Nawin who was thinking: "Those foreigners in the tuk- tuk must be in Laos by now—going to Vientiane as I am."

From An Apostate: Nawin of Thais by Steven (Steven David Justin) Sills

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023