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Definition of vietnam

vietnam

/ˌviːɛtˈnɑːm/
Vi · et · nam
Adjective:Vietnamese
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vietnam Lexical Profile

• noun

1

A country in Southeast Asia located on the eastern edge of the Indochinese Peninsula, bordered by China to the north and Laos and Cambodia to the west.

2

American The protracted military conflict (1955–1975) involving the United States, South Vietnam, and North Vietnam; the Vietnam War.

Example

"His grandfather served in Vietnam and rarely spoke about his experiences during the conflict."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for vietnam

Word Nuance & Usage

In American English, 'Vietnam' is frequently used as a metonym to refer specifically to the Vietnam War (1955–1975) rather than the modern sovereign nation.

• Rhymes for vietnam

• Nearby Words

viento
viento falls
vier
vietnam
vietnamese
view
viewable

Word Origin & Etymology

From Vietnamese 'Việt Nam', which reverses the Chinese name 'Nányuè' (South Yue). 'Việt' refers to the ancient Baiyue people of the region, and 'Nam' means south.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Vietnam. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/vietnam
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