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

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Adjective
Since then, the military have kept her exact whereabouts and condition secret as a deadly civil war has engulfed much of the impoverished Southeast Asian nation. — Helen Regan, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026 Paparo’s remarks come as tensions remain high in the South China Sea, where China’s expansive maritime claims overlap with those of several Southeast Asian nations. — ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026 One in three Singaporean business owners still use their personal bank accounts for their company’s banking needs, trying to escape high transaction fees, according to a survey from MariBank, a digital bank owned by Southeast Asian tech firm Sea. — Angelica Ang, Fortune, 3 Aug. 2026 According to the prosecutors, the three men sold servers equipped with cutting-edge Nvidia AI chips—which are subject to export controls—to China through a Southeast Asian company. — Siladitya Ray, Forbes.com, 28 July 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

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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 7 Aug. 2026.

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