vegetarian

1 of 2

noun

veg·​e·​tar·​i·​an ˌve-jə-ˈter-ē-ən 

1

: a person who does not eat meat : someone whose diet consists wholly of vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts, and sometimes eggs or dairy products

2

: herbivore

vegetarian

2 of 2

adjective

1

: of, relating to, or suitable for vegetarians

a vegetarian restaurant

2

: not containing meat : consisting wholly of vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts, and sometimes eggs or dairy products

a vegetarian diet

vegetarian lunch

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 vegetarian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

There are hot drinks, cold drinks, non-caffeinated drinks, sandwiches and salads for all palates and vegetarian and vegan options as well, Reynolds-Tyler said. —Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 10 June 2026

According to a National Family Health Survey, approximately 18% of people in Mumbai reported being vegetarian, which has shaped a street food culture built around plants, legumes and dairy. —Lauren Schuster, Kansas City Star, 8 June 2026

Adjective

In Mumbai, roughly 18% of residents identified as vegetarian in a National Family Health Survey, and most iconic street snacks are vegetarian by default. —Lauren Schuster, Charlotte Observer, 8 June 2026

Clover Food Lab, the vegetarian fast food chain that closed all of its Boston-area restaurants last week, is already set to reopen. —Neal Riley, CBS News, 3 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

veget(able) entry 1 + -arian

First Known Use

Noun

1842, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1841, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing vegetarian

• lacto-ovo vegetarian
• lacto-vegetarian
• ovo-lacto vegetarian

Rhymes for vegetarian

• agrarian
• aquarian
• barbarian
• bavarian
• bulgarian
• cimmerian
• hungarian
• librarian
• ovarian
• riparian
• rotarian
• sectarian

Kids Definition

vegetarian

1 of 2 noun

veg·​e·​tar·​i·​an ˌvej-ə-ˈter-ē-ən 

1

: a person who refrains from eating meat and lives on a diet made up of vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts, and sometimes eggs or dairy products

2

: herbivore

vegetarian

2 of 2 adjective

1

: of or relating to vegetarians

2

: consisting wholly of vegetables

a vegetarian diet

Medical Definition

vegetarian

1 of 2 noun

veg·​e·​tar·​i·​an ˌvej-ə-ˈter-ē-ən 

: an individual who believes in or practices vegetarianism

vegetarian

2 of 2 adjective

1

: of or relating to vegetarians

2

: consisting wholly of vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts, and sometimes eggs or dairy products

a vegetarian diet