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

Adjective

Mallica Kumbera Landrus, the Ashmolean’s curator of Indian, Himalayan, and Southeast Asian art, expressed excitement over the chance to assemble a trove of Bangladeshi art. — News Desk, Artforum, 2 Oct. 2026

Mallica Kumbera Landrus, curator of Indian, Himalayan, and Southeast Asian art at the Ashmolean, said the SAF partnership would strengthen the museum’s connections with artists from Bangladesh. — George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 30 Sep. 2026

The festival has also reintroduced its Crosscut Asia section, dedicated to Southeast Asian cinema, which will screen titles including Filipiñana, Four Seasons In Java and Becoming Human. — Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2026

Yet Southeast Asian manufacturers are now struggling with Chinese overcapacity. — Angelica Ang, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1898, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1943, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for Southeast Asian

• athanasian
• abrasion
• caucasian
• equation
• eurasian
• evasion
• invasion
• occasion
• persuasion
• suasion