vignette

1 of 2

noun

vi·​gnette vin-ˈyet 

vēn-

1

a

: a picture (such as an engraving or photograph) that shades off gradually into the surrounding paper

b

: the pictorial part of a postage stamp design as distinguished from the frame and lettering

2

a

: a short descriptive literary sketch

b

: a brief incident or scene (as in a play or movie)

3

: a running ornament (as of vine leaves, tendrils, and grapes) put on or just before a title page or at the beginning or end of a chapter

also : a small decorative design or picture so placed

vignettist

vin-ˈye-tist 

vēn-

noun

vignette

2 of 2

verb

vignetted; vignetting

transitive verb

1

: to finish (something, such as a photograph) like a vignette

2

: to describe briefly

vignetter noun

Did you know?

The Connection Between Vignette and Vines

Vignette comes from the Middle French noun vigne, meaning "vine." In English, the word was first used in the early 17th century for a design or illustration that ran along the blank border of a page, or one that marked the beginning or end of a chapter. Such designs got their name because they often looked like little vines. It wasn't until the late 19th century that vignette began being used for a brief literary sketch or narrative.

Synonyms

Noun

• definition
• delineation
• depiction
• description
• picture
• portrait
• portraiture
• portrayal
• rendering
• sketch

Examples of vignette in a Sentence

Noun

The play's program features a little vignette about each member of the cast.

The film is a series of vignettes about living with cancer.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

With not a scrap of backstory required, this immensely satisfying vignette earns the film an early round of cheers. —Guy Lodge, Variety, 21 May 2024

Make sure to apply some vignette corrections in post to brighten the corners for astro pictures. —PCMAG, 20 May 2024

It’s made up of vignettes, a page or two long, plus her animal sketches and drawings, which improve astoundingly over the six years. —Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 May 2024

In contrast, Stone’s characters in the first two vignettes are a step backward for her go-for-broke comedic talents. —Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 18 May 2024

Like much of Cage’s discography, Neon Pill mixes deeply personal vignettes with more abstract lyrics. —Ethan Millman, Rolling Stone, 15 May 2024

Photo : Mark Corcoran/Upmarket Media Picturesque vignettes can be found throughout the premises. —Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 14 May 2024

Ancient human footprints, preserved in a dry lakebed at White Sands National Park in New Mexico, reveal remarkably vivid vignettes of life in the late Pleistocene: children jumping in puddles and splashing, a group of hunters stalking a giant sloth. —Richard Grant, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 May 2024

You were given the unique challenge of juxtaposing the present-day storyline with all of these little vignettes that are designed to show the firefighters’ — and especially Vic’s — connection to Morris. —Max Gao, Variety, 3 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French, from Middle French vignete, from diminutive of vigne vine — more at vine entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Verb

1853, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

vignette

noun

vi·​gnette

vin-ˈyet,

vēn-

: a brief description in words : sketch