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

The Vietnamese national weather forecaster says hundreds of localities in seven cities and provinces are at risk of flooding and landslides in the next six hours.

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In the 1970s and ’80s, China forcibly seized from Vietnam several features in the Spratlys and the Paracel Islands, another disputed archipelago further north, in battles that claimed the lives of dozens of Vietnamese troops.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

When Nixon told America that Vietnamization would strengthen the South Vietnamese “so that they could defend themselves when we left,” he was lying.

Read more on Salon

The menu is packed with Vietnamese classics, from banh mi to pho, alongside many other dishes.

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Did a fully Vietnamese version of the steakhouse exist?

Read more on Los Angeles Times