1
a
: a picture (such as an engraving or photograph) that shades off gradually into the surrounding paper
b
: the pictorial part of a postage stamp design as distinguished from the frame and lettering
2
a
: a short descriptive literary sketch
b
: a brief incident or scene (as in a play or movie)
3
: a running ornament (as of vine leaves, tendrils, and grapes) put on or just before a title page or at the beginning or end of a chapter
also
: a small decorative design or picture so placed
vignetted; vignetting
1
: to finish (something, such as a photograph) like a vignette
2
: to describe briefly
vignetter
noun
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The Connection Between Vignette and Vines
Vignette comes from the Middle French noun vigne, meaning "vine." In English, the word was first used in the early 17th century for a design or illustration that ran along the blank border of a page, or one that marked the beginning or end of a chapter. Such designs got their name because they often looked like little vines. It wasn't until the late 19th century that vignette began being used for a brief literary sketch or narrative.
Examples of vignette in a Sentence
Noun
The play's program features a little vignette about each member of the cast.
The film is a series of vignettes about living with cancer.
Recent Examples on the Web
Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2025
Presented by Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (CNMI), The Fashion Hub — a global fashion incubator and meeting place — promoted the new generation of designers with a multitude of initiatives and activities with garments displayed in vignettes.
—Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2025
Harry Bennett, Space.com, 27 Aug. 2025
The idea is to fix any issues that your lens introduces, such as darkness around the edges (vignetting) or warped perspectives.
—PCMAG, 12 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for vignette
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Noun
This collection of grisly horror vignettes all take place on Halloween night in the fictional town of Warren Valley, Ohio, and are all tied together by black comedy and autumnal atmosphere.
—Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2025
Presented by Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (CNMI), The Fashion Hub — a global fashion incubator and meeting place — promoted the new generation of designers with a multitude of initiatives and activities with garments displayed in vignettes.
—Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2025
Verb
Users note that distortion and vignetting are well-controlled and require minimal correction in post-processing.
—Harry Bennett, Space.com, 27 Aug. 2025
The idea is to fix any issues that your lens introduces, such as darkness around the edges (vignetting) or warped perspectives.
—PCMAG, 12 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for vignette
Cite this Entry
“Vignette.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vignette. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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