North Vietnam

American  

noun

1. that part of Vietnam N of about 17° N; formerly a part of French Indochina; separate republic 1954–75.

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North Vietnam British  

noun

1. a region of N Vietnam, on the Gulf of Tonkin: an independent Communist state from 1954 until 1976. Area: 164 061 sq km (63 344 sq miles)

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Compare meaning

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

• North Vietnam vs. South Vietnam

Example Sentences

That notion runs counter to the lessons of wars—from the bombing of North Vietnam to NATO’s campaign in Kosovo—where political outcomes couldn’t be achieved solely from the skies.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

Vietnam’s ties to Russia are close and go back many decades, to the vital military, economic and diplomatic support given by the Soviet Union to the new communist state in North Vietnam in the 1950s.

From BBC • Jun. 20, 2024

Operation Popeye, a weather modification project in North Vietnam and Laos during the 1960s American invasion, entailed more than 50 cloud seeding experiments.

From Salon • Dec. 28, 2023

The fighting between North Vietnam and U.S.-backed South Vietnam did not end until the North’s victory in 1975.

From New York Times • Nov. 30, 2023

On the last night of July, South Vietnamese sailors on patrol boats fired missiles at radar stations in North Vietnam.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin