vegan

noun

veg·​an ˈvē-gən 

also

ˈvā- 

also

ˈve-jən 

or

-ˌjan 

: a strict vegetarian who consumes no food (such as meat, eggs, or dairy products) that comes from animals

also : one who abstains from using animal products (such as leather)

vegan adjective

vegan desserts

a vegan restaurant

veganism

ˈvē-gə-ˌni-zəm 

also

ˈvā-gə- 

or

ˈve-jə- 

noun

Did you know?

The Difference Between Vegetarian, Vegan, and Other Diets

The word vegetarian sprouted up in 1839. Fruitarian ("a person who lives on fruit") ripened by 1893. In 1944, vegetarians who consume no animal or dairy products began calling themselves vegans. Then, in 1993, those who eat fish but no other meat chose pesce, the Italian word for "fish," to create the designation pescatarian. In that same year, meatatarian was served up as a word for those whose diet largely includes meat; that word is rare, however, and is usually used in informal and humorous ways, making it the type of fare not included in our dictionaries. Another fairly recent dietary word is flexitarian, a person who follows a mostly vegetarian diet but occasionally eats meat or fish.

Examples of vegan in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Los Angeles Dodgers could face a massive PR nightmare from LA vegans as star pitcher Edwin Diaz finds himself at the center of a federal animal cruelty scandal. —Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 15 May 2026

The shoes are built with a premium satin upper, a vegan insole and a leather-rubber outsole for comfort. —Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 14 May 2026

Cosmetics, which stands for eye, lip and face, is a beauty brand known for being affordable, vegan and cruelty-free, according to its website. —Julia Gomez, USA Today, 13 May 2026

And for vegans, undeclared dairy or eggs can affect health or ethical values. —Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 13 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

by contraction from vegetarian entry 1

First Known Use

1944, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

vegan

noun

veg·​an ˈvē-gən 

: a strict vegetarian who does not use animals or dairy products for food

vegan adjective

veganism

ˈvē-gə-ˌniz-əm 

noun

Medical Definition

vegan

noun

veg·​an ˈvē-gən; ˈvej-ən  -ˌan 

: a strict vegetarian who consumes no animal food or dairy products

vegan adjective

veganism

ˈvē-gə-ˌniz-əm  ˈvej-ə- 

noun