Vietnamese

[vee-et-nah-meez, -mees, -nuh-, vyet-, vee-it-]

adjective

1. of or relating to Vietnam or its inhabitants.

noun

plural

Vietnamese 

1. Formerly Annamite. Formerly Annamese. the Austroasiatic language of Vietnam.

2. Sometimes Offensive.,  a native or inhabitant of Vietnam.

Sensitive Note

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).

Other Word Forms

• anti-Vietnamese adjective anti-Vietnamese
• pro-Vietnamese adjective pro-Vietnamese

Word History and Origins

Origin of Vietnamese¹

First recorded in 1945–50; Vietnam + -ese

Example Sentences

According to the Vietnamese central government, the offence could carry a maximum prison term of seven to 15 years.

From BBC

The brazen daylight heist, which was caught on video, prompted an angry response from lawmakers, public safety advocates and Vietnamese community leaders who called for increased law enforcement resources to combat organized crime rings.

From Los Angeles Times

We are talking about Sacramento’s Stockton Boulevard, where Vietnamese men congregate in the cafes every afternoon.

From Los Angeles Times

To do so, they used two isolated incidents of North Vietnamese patrol boats attacking a naval destroyer in the Gulf of Tonkin.

From Salon

Less than three years after joining the “Post,” Oliphant received the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning for an illustration of Ho Chi Minh carrying the body of a dead Vietnamese man.

From Salon