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

Here, guests will get to fully customize their meal, first choosing a base (quinoa or mashed potatoes), a protein (meatballs, fish, or vegan balls), and a sauce (cranberry or mustard), with seasonal vegetables. —Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 24 Nov. 2025

This three-piece kit is designed to give you a healthy, glowing complexion with premium ingredients, including vegan PDRN, retinal, collagen and hyaluronic acid. —Bestreviews, Mercury News, 23 Nov. 2025

On several occasions, she’s made gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian meals, if there were no volunteers available to make them, Stangl said. —Alyssa N. Salcedo, jsonline.com, 21 Nov. 2025

To have been voted Best Restaurant in the World and to hold three Michelin stars both in its original form and then as a fully vegan restaurant is extraordinary. —Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 19 Nov. 2025

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