vegetarian

noun

veg·e·tar·i·an | \ ˌve-jə-ˈter-ē-ən

Definition of vegetarian

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

adjective

Definition of vegetarian (Entry 2 of 2)

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

The Difference Between Vegetarian, Vegan, and Other Diets More Example Sentences Phrases Containing vegetarian Learn More About vegetarian

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 Montgomery, a long-time vegetarian, keeper of chickens, and a hunter's daughter who foregoes hunting herself, immediately sees the irony. — Steve Donoghue, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 June 2022 All of the small bites, for $7.50 to $10, are gluten free, vegan/vegetarian, or both. — Susan Dunne, Hartford Courant, 4 June 2022 Lentils are another great source of protein for vegetarian and plant-based eaters. — Courtney Campbell And Elizabeth Berry, Woman's Day, 24 June 2022 Their middle brother, Gotabaya, was always different: aloof, politically inexperienced, a teetotaler and vegetarian who spent 21 years in the military. — Hafeel Farisz, Washington Post, 22 May 2022 It’s not just about individual actions, like giving up air travel, or becoming a vegetarian, it’s about working together with other people in a common effort, Gill said. — Seth Borenstein, ajc, 8 May 2022 This Taiwanese-Chinese restaurant chain serves pork, chicken and vegetarian bun sandwiches and desserts. — San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2022 One of the sources is a book about being a vegetarian that just mentions the siege in passing. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 2 Apr. 2022 The humble bean burrito has been a part of the working class diet since before the term vegetarian was coined, Gonzales said. — Priscilla Totiyapungprasert, The Arizona Republic, 25 Mar. 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective Over the decades, most vegetarian and vegan brands have been bought by large conventional food conglomerates, while a few have gone public. — Michele Simon, Forbes, 9 Aug. 2022 The menu has gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian options. — cleveland, 20 July 2022 Kelly Burke of Union Square watches workers Christopher Guzman and Karisma Brown prepare her a vegetarian dish at Sobeachy Haitian Cuisine, a stall inside Cross Street MarketTuesday. — Baltimore Sun, 26 July 2022 This vegetarian main dish is like if a seven-layer dip got a makeover in the produce aisle. — Washington Post, 6 May 2022 Tossed in oil and roasted until caramelized and yielding, the cooked carrots provide a meaty backbone to this vegetarian dish. — Kitty Greenwald, WSJ, 12 Jan. 2022 India Home tries to fill that gap by providing multiple free meals per week, consisting of rice or chapatis, halal meats, dal and a vegetarian dish provided by local restaurants. — NBC News, 22 Dec. 2021 Paneer is the firm cheese that’s the hero ingredient in the vegetarian dish saag paneer. — Bloomberg News, oregonlive, 30 Nov. 2021 Palomino, at 2491 S. Superior St., is known for its Southern-style fare and for including vegetarian and vegan dishes on the menu. — Jordyn Noennig, Journal Sentinel, 12 July 2022 See More

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