Vietnam War

American  

noun

1. a conflict, starting in 1954 and ending in 1975, between South Vietnam (later aided by the U.S., South Korea, Australia, the Philippines, Thailand, and New Zealand) and the Vietcong and North Vietnam.

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Vietnam War Cultural  

1. A war in Southeast Asia, in which the United States fought in the 1960s and 1970s. The war was waged from 1954 to 1975 between communist North Vietnam and noncommunist South Vietnam, two parts of what was once the French colony of Indochina. Vietnamese communists attempted to take over the South, both by invasion from the North and by guerrilla warfare conducted within the South by the Viet Cong. Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy sent increasing numbers of American military advisers to South Vietnam in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Kennedy's successor, President Lyndon Johnson, increased American military support greatly, until half a million United States soldiers were in Vietnam. American goals in Vietnam proved difficult to achieve, and the communists'Tet offensive was a severe setback. Reports of atrocities committed by both sides in the war disturbed many Americans (see My Lai massacre). Eventually, President Richard Nixon decreased American troop strength and sent his secretary of state, Henry Kissinger, to negotiate a cease-fire with North Vietnam. American troops were withdrawn in 1973, and South Vietnam was completely taken over by communist forces in 1975.

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The involvement of the United States in the war was extremely controversial. Some supported it wholeheartedly; others opposed it in mass demonstrations and by refusing to serve in the American armed forces (see draft). Still others seemed to rely on the government to decide the best course of action (see silent majority).

A large memorial (see Vietnam Memorial) bearing the names of all members of the United States armed services who died in the Vietnam War is in Washington, D.C.

Etymology

Origin of Vietnam War

First recorded in 1960–65

Compare meaning

How does vietnam-war compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Korean War vs. Vietnam War
• Korean vs. Vietnam War

Example Sentences

McNamara’s quantitative cost-benefit-analysis approach to business had righted Ford’s postwar problems but proved disastrous when he tried to apply it to the Vietnam War.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 10, 2026

The Vietnam War was raging, there were protests in the streets and their own kids were repudiating many of their values.

From Salon • May 6, 2026

The newly inaugurated Lyndon Johnson had sky-high support after John F. Kennedy’s assassination, political cover that arguably helped Johnson muscle civil rights legislation through Congress and escalate the Vietnam War.

From Slate • Apr. 26, 2026

On a divided country in the aftermath of the Vietnam War:

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 19, 2026

Fina tells me about how her grandfather fought in the Vietnam War and lost one of his legs there and how sometimes he swore he could still feel it.

From "How to Disappear Completely" by Ali Standish