vignette

noun vi·gnette \ vin-ˈyet , vēn- \

|Updated on: 6 Aug 2018

Examples: vignette in a Sentence

Editor's Note: The Connection Between vignette and Vines

Definition of vignette

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

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vignettist

play \vin-ˈye-tist, vēn-\ noun

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vignette was our Word of the Day on 02/21/2016. Hear the podcast!

Examples of vignette in a Sentence

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 of vignette from the Web

Homar makes art boxes that contain colorful landscapes, rooms and vignettes.

— hannah kirby, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Looking to enjoy some music out on the town? Check out Friday Night Live in downtown Waukesha this summer.," 25 June 2018
In another vignette a skeleton couple is getting married at Castello di Amorosa, while another skeleton group is biking the Silverado trail.

— michael bauer, San Francisco Chronicle, "Gran Electrica in Napa: Mexican cuisine straight outta Brooklyn," 31 May 2018
Squeezed between musical numbers, or sometimes embedded within them, these sketchy vignettes have little of the humor and nuance that defined The Mountaintop.

— stephen dalton, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Tina': Theater Review," 17 Apr. 2018
The reds, whites and blues can be mixed in one container or used as single colors in pots to create a holiday vignette.

— jo ellen meyers sharp, Indianapolis Star, "The Hoosier Gardener: Plant your red, white and blue," 3 July 2018
And a vignette involving illicit drugs gives Senior the chance to take everything to another level.

— tony adler, Chicago Reader, "The members of Support Group for Men don’t get eviscerated, but what does happen isn’t much more edifying," 2 July 2018
The painterly Dark Floral wallpaper by Ellie Cashman ramps up the drama of the vignette, making the most of the nook where Kristen meets with clients.

— dawn margolis denberg, SFChronicle.com, "1895 home is all Victorian eye candy outside and modern efficiency inside," 29 June 2018
The main stage was surrounded by miniature ones set up in alcoves, each presenting a playful vignette for a different video creator.

— katy steinmetz, Time, "Instagram Is Adding Hour-Long Videos to Take on YouTube," 20 June 2018
Aside from this small vignette, Hollis Benton and his gallery have been lost to time.

— andrea alonso, Los Angeles Magazine, "Fact and Fiction Collide Inside an Exhibit Inspired by a “Forgotten” L.A. Legend—and Beverly Hills Cop," 12 June 2018

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

The Connection Between vignette and Vines

Vignette comes from Middle French vignete, the diminutive form of the noun vigne, meaning "vine." In English, the word was first used in the mid-18th 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 usage of vignette had shifted to cover a brief literary sketch or narrative, as we commonly see it used today.