vanity fair

noun

often capitalized V&F
: a scene or place characterized by frivolity and ostentation

Examples of vanity fair in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Not the magazine, but vanity fair, the idea of it. Chloe Foussianes, Town & Country, 24 Aug. 2020

Word History

Etymology

after Vanity-Fair, a fair held in the frivolous town of Vanity in Pilgrim's Progress (1678) by John Bunyan

First Known Use

1754, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of vanity fair was in 1754

Dictionary Entries Near vanity fair

Cite this Entry

“Vanity fair.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vanity%20fair. Accessed 12 Dec. 2024.

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