: 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
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
Chad De Guzman, Time, 11 May 2026
Southeast Asian nations, heavily reliant on Gulf oil, have borne the brunt of the energy shock triggered by the Middle East conflict.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 11 May 2026
Among animals, the Southeast Asian soldier fly Parastratiosphecomyia stratiosphecomyioides (order Diptera, family Stratiomyidae) holds that honor with 42 letters in its name.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 May 2026
The Australian policy of refusing to allow boat arrivals to settle has largely ended people smuggling from Southeast Asian ports in rickety fishing boats that had once thrived.
—ABC News, 6 May 2026
Hai Hai Blending Southeast Asian street food with a jaunt to the tropics, chef-owner Christina Nguyen won the James Beard Award for Best Chef Midwest in 2024.
—Kristine Hansen, Travel + Leisure, 4 May 2026
Suu Kyi, 80, has been detained by the junta since and her whereabouts have been unclear amid a deadly civil war that was triggered by the February 2021 coup that has engulfed much of the impoverished Southeast Asian nation.
—CNN Money, 1 May 2026
Tran said the area was the original hub for Vietnamese and Southeast Asian families to shop before Denver’s Far East Center opened in 1988.
—Jessica Alvarado Gamez, Denver Post, 30 Apr. 2026
The Mekong starts in China and flows through five Southeast Asian nations before emptying into the sea.
—Anton L. Delgado, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
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Adjective
With the House vote on Monday, Duterte, who comes from one of the country’s most prominent political dynasties, became the first official in the Southeast Asian country’s history to be impeached twice.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 11 May 2026
Southeast Asian nations, heavily reliant on Gulf oil, have borne the brunt of the energy shock triggered by the Middle East conflict.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 11 May 2026
Among animals, the Southeast Asian soldier fly Parastratiosphecomyia stratiosphecomyioides (order Diptera, family Stratiomyidae) holds that honor with 42 letters in its name.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 May 2026
The Australian policy of refusing to allow boat arrivals to settle has largely ended people smuggling from Southeast Asian ports in rickety fishing boats that had once thrived.
—ABC News, 6 May 2026
Hai Hai Blending Southeast Asian street food with a jaunt to the tropics, chef-owner Christina Nguyen won the James Beard Award for Best Chef Midwest in 2024.
—Kristine Hansen, Travel + Leisure, 4 May 2026
Suu Kyi, 80, has been detained by the junta since and her whereabouts have been unclear amid a deadly civil war that was triggered by the February 2021 coup that has engulfed much of the impoverished Southeast Asian nation.
—CNN Money, 1 May 2026
Tran said the area was the original hub for Vietnamese and Southeast Asian families to shop before Denver’s Far East Center opened in 1988.
—Jessica Alvarado Gamez, Denver Post, 30 Apr. 2026
The Mekong starts in China and flows through five Southeast Asian nations before emptying into the sea.
—Anton L. Delgado, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Southeast Asian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Southeast%20Asian. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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