vegan

noun

veg·an | \ ˈvē-gən

also ˈvā-

also ˈve-jən

or -ˌjan

Definition of vegan

: 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)

Other Words from vegan The Difference Between Vegetarian, Vegan, and Other Diets Example Sentences Learn More about vegan

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Other Words from vegan

vegan adjective

vegan desserts a vegan restaurant

veganism \ ˈvē-gə-ˌni-zəm

, ˈvā-gə-

, ˈve-jə-

\ noun

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

Where to Eat Wild Beets In Santa Gertrudis, Wild Beets draws inspiration from Ibiza’s hippie history with a contemporary vegan menu that could charm even a carnivore. — Elizabeth Wellington, Vogue, "For Authentic Ibiza, Visit in the Winter," 15 Feb. 2019 Also new this week is a vegan CBD Tincture ($75) that has 500 mg of CBD per bottle. — Rosemary Donahue, Allure, "CBD Brand Sunday Scaries Launches Vegan Tincture and Gummies," 2 Oct. 2018 All of California isn’t vegan with wild hair, just like all of Texas isn’t overly crazy conservative, southern or hick accents, riding horses and shooting armadillos. — Emily Bloch, Teen Vogue, "Here's What Texas Stylists Have to Say About Ted Cruz's "Hair Dye" Comment," 10 Sep. 2018 In each destination, travelers will find hot spots for vegan meals and also get lessons in vegan cooking. — Phil Marty, chicagotribune.com, "Adventures in vegan eating, a Canadian bucket list and more," 13 July 2018 Smaller snacks, like spam musubi and lumpia (vegan or porky), are a bargain, offering big flavor for five bucks or less. — Jill Lightner, The Seattle Times, "Patrick’s Bakery & Cafe: sweet treats and Hawaiian snacks at great prices," 1 Oct. 2018 On Magnolia, a passerby may spot a Range Rover parked in front of Craftwork Coffee, where two bearded men likely coiffed at the ever-popular Fort Worth Barber Shop step out for a vegan latte. — Alina Dizik, WSJ, "As Homebuyers Flock In, Fort Worth Embraces its Cowtown Reputation," 17 Jan. 2019 Sure, going vegan is the most surefire way to decrease your carbon footprint—60 percent of agriculture’s massive greenhouse gas emissions come from meat and dairy, and the sheer amount of livestock on the planet contributes to species die-offs. — Cady Drell, Marie Claire, "6 Ways You Can Be More Eco-Friendly Right This Second," 15 Jan. 2019 There are so many reasons why folks of color go vegan. — Amy Quichiz, SELF, "10 Vegans of Color on What Being Vegan Means to Them," 6 Jan. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'vegan.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.