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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
Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
To make this vegan, use vegetable broth, omit the chicken and cheese (or use nondairy cheese), and use nondairy crema or sour cream.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
Baked Beans Baked beans are a hearty side dish perfect for people following a vegetarian or vegan diet.
—Carrie Madormo, Verywell Health, 11 Feb. 2026
Meanwhile, back at the hotel, the original UXUA Lab continues with its vegan experiments with the likes of mead-like hidromiel, cacao, and kombucha.
—Stephanie Rafanelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for vegan
Cite this Entry
“Vegan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vegan. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
vegan
noun
Medical Definition
vegan
noun
-ˌan
