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

And still, that is just unplugging as tourism, not unlike visiting a spa with a raw-vegan menu and daily yoga classes or attending a writers retreat that brings you breakfast in a basket every morning and someone who cleans your room. — Marisa Meltzer, Vanity Fair, 12 Oct. 2026

The three fragrances in the line, in their refillable jewel-like metal cases set with semiprecious stones, are made in France, alcohol-free and vegan. — Alex Wynne, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026

Sometimes, that’s a big yay, as with the South Asian lentil dumplings called faraa, which wallow in a luscious coconut cream with fresh chanterelles that’s like carbonara for vegans. — John Kessler, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026

Walker’s favorite is the vanilla bean protein powder, giving him 21 grams of vegan protein as well as four grams of prebiotics and fiber with each serving. — Scott Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 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