Southeast Asian

1 of 2

adjective

: of, relating to, or characteristic of Southeast Asia (a region of indefinite boundaries usually thought of as including Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam and sometimes Singapore, Indonesia, and/or the Philippines) or its people

Southeast Asian

2 of 2

noun

plural Southeast Asians
1
: a native or inhabitant of Southeast Asia
2
: a person of Southeast Asian descent

Examples of Southeast Asian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Adjective
Building more captive coal for aluminum will worsen the toxic haze that often blankets Southeast Asian cities, like Jakarta, according to Muhammad Al Amin, with the Indonesian Forum for Environment. — ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026 Alexander Gabuev, the director of Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center in Berlin, said this was demonstrated when Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted the leaders of Southeast Asian countries in the Russian city of Kazan in June. — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026 The Vidio tie-up extends ReelShort’s Southeast Asian expansion after earlier partnerships in Thailand with AIS and in the Philippines with Globe. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026 While estimates vary, scholars generally agree that more than 500,000 men from the French empire, including North African, West African and Southeast Asian countries, fought for France between 1914 and 1918. — Shannon Fogg, The Conversation, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for Southeast Asian

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1898, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1943, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Southeast Asian was in 1898

Rhymes for Southeast Asian

See All Rhymes for Southeast Asian

Browse Nearby Words

Southeast Asia
Southeast Asian
southeast by east
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Southeast Asian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Southeast%20Asian. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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