vegetarian

veg·e·tar·i·an | \ ˌve-jə-ˈter-ē-ən

How to pronounce vegetarian (audio)

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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

vegetarian

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 Learn More about vegetarian

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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 One woman who had been a vegetarian for decades suddenly felt a need to have a roast turkey on the table. — Becky Krystal, Washington Post, "143 years of Thanksgiving coverage in The Post," 9 Nov. 2020 Singh has been a vegetarian for 12 years and loved the idea of participating in their advice-giving campaign. — Brittany Loggins, NBC News, "This is Lilly Singh's Know Your Value moment," 2 Nov. 2020 The restaurant will have two soups, one chicken, one vegetarian, and appetizers or snacks including guacamole, queso fundido and flautas that are filled with chicken or potato and bean. — Carol Deptolla, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "The cheel's owners will open Daily Taco nearby in Thiensville," 21 Oct. 2020 Going vegetarian was not an overnight change for me. — Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, "The Book I Always Recommend to People Thinking About Going Vegetarian," 5 Aug. 2020 Finally, try making at least one new vegetarian recipe a week. — Stefanie Gordon, Woman's Day, "Everything You Need to Know About Being a Flexitarian," 19 June 2020 The government of the time did face questions about the clarity of its messages, vegetarians were entitled to special ration books, and equipment shortages were a subject of parliamentary debate. — Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, "Crises Are No Time for Political Unity," 20 May 2020 Saturday will be turkey, with a black bean burger for vegetarians. — oregonlive, "Portland chefs to feed more than 500 homeless people daily through new county program," 27 Mar. 2020 Perfect for vegetarians, this casserole is packed with meatless protein from the black beans and cottage cheese. — Natalie Rizzo, NBC News, "10 easy, one-dish meals that are perfect for a potluck," 7 Dec. 2018 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective But as the vegetarian and vegan community rapidly grows, even fast-food fans are becoming less afraid of eating their greens. — NBC News, "Plant-based products infiltrate fast food to meet customer demand," 11 Nov. 2020 With the focus squarely on their 25-year-old Northwest Portland restaurant, Vitaly and Kimberly Paley are hosting a Thanksgiving dinner with an array of options, including a vegetarian menu. — Michael Russell, oregonlive, "Portland restaurants serving Thanksgiving dinner to-go," 11 Nov. 2020 Other sandwiches hold roast beef or cheeseburger patties (though a vegetarian sandwich is among the best sellers). — Michael Russell, oregonlive, "Lottie & Zula’s brings Rhode Island-style grinders and Portuguese muffin breakfast sandwiches to Portland," 29 Oct. 2020 His long-suffering, vegetarian girlfriend, Diana, is along for the ride, and the story is a freewheeling picaresque rich with character and joyful writing. — Oliver Staley, Quartz, "MeatEater’s Steven Rinella is helping America rethink its relationship with hunting," 23 Oct. 2020 The new venture comes from Lucas Bradbury, a longstanding innovator in vegan and vegetarian food in San Antonio who’s been involved with Earth Burger, Green Vegetarian and the late Bok Choy. — Paul Stephen, ExpressNews.com, "New vegan food truck Project Pollo serves great ‘chicken’ sandwiches in downtown San Antonio," 20 Oct. 2020 Parkway is known for po-boys filled with meat, seafood and vegetarian fillings. — Will Coviello, NOLA.com, "Gambit's 2020 Fall Dining Guide: Where to eat in the New Orleans area amid new reopening phase," 12 Oct. 2020 In the dining room, there will be a nine-course menu, regular or vegetarian, $355; the salon will offer five courses for $225. — Florence Fabricant, New York Times, "15 East at Tocqueville," 6 Oct. 2020 But there is plenty here to please the vegetarian cook, too. — Kendra Nordin Beato, The Christian Science Monitor, "Cooking at home? Try new takes on old favorites, or travel the world.," 22 Oct. 2020

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.

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Last Updated

17 Nov 2020

Cite this Entry

“Vegetarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vegetarian. Accessed 27 Nov. 2020.

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More Definitions for vegetarian

vegetarian

veg·e·tar·i·an | \ ˌve-jə-ˈter-ē-ən

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Kids Definition of vegetarian

: a person who does not eat meat

vegetarian

veg·e·tar·i·an | \ ˌvej-ə-ˈter-ē-ən

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Medical Definition of vegetarian

(Entry 1 of 2)

: an individual who believes in or practices vegetarianism

vegetarian

Medical Definition of vegetarian (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : of or relating to vegetarians

2 : consisting wholly of vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts, and sometimes eggs or dairy products a vegetarian diet

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