vegan

noun

veg·​an ˈvē-gən How to pronounce vegan (audio)
also
ˈvā- How to pronounce vegan (audio)
also
ˈve-jən How to pronounce vegan (audio)
or
-ˌjan How to pronounce vegan (audio)
: 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

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 That makes this powder high in protein and lower in total calories compared with many other vegan protein sources. April Benshosan, Glamour, 13 Mar. 2024 For non-eggheads, Genevieve Ko adapted the recipe for the excellent — and vegan — chickpea frittata formerly found at local cafe chain Go Get Em Tiger. Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2024 Each formula is vegan, cruelty-free, and made without some of the most common toxins. Stephanie Osmanski, Southern Living, 9 Mar. 2024 On the other hand, artificial, or vegan leather, only needs to be cleaned with a slightly damp cloth. L. Daniela Alvarez, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Mar. 2024 Wrangler Top-Handle Crossbody Tote Bag, $46 with coupon and Prime Amazon Prime members can save even more on this vegan leather tote by Wrangler. Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 6 Mar. 2024 The difference between milk kefir and coconut kefir The main difference between regular kefir, or milk kefir, and the coconut version, is that coconut is a vegan alternative. Beatrice Zocchi, Vogue, 5 Mar. 2024 Fielding Russell, 34, works as a party bike guide in Asheville, N.C., and is now trying to start his own vegan international tour business. Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2024 All these recipes are vegetarian (and two are vegan), although no one is stopping you from adding bacon. Emily Weinstein, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'vegan.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

by contraction from vegetarian entry 1

First Known Use

1944, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of vegan was in 1944

Dictionary Entries Near vegan

Cite this Entry

“Vegan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vegan. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

vegan

noun
veg·​an ˈvē-gən How to pronounce vegan (audio)
: a strict vegetarian who does not use animals or dairy products for food
vegan adjective
veganism noun

Medical Definition

vegan

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

More from Merriam-Webster on vegan

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