vegan

noun

veg·​an ˈvē-gən How to pronounce vegan (audio)
also
ˈvā- How to pronounce vegan (audio)
also
ˈve-jən How to pronounce vegan (audio)
or
-ˌjan How to pronounce vegan (audio)
: a strict vegetarian who consumes no food (such as meat, eggs, or dairy products) that comes from animals
also : one who abstains from using animal products (such as leather)
vegan adjective
vegan desserts
a vegan restaurant

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 vegan in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Lamai Fresh Coconut Ice Cream Located on a backstreet in Lamai, this mom-and-pop shop is all about vegan ice cream made with coconut milk. Christina Liao, Vogue, 21 Feb. 2025 This genius vegan leather version comes in Palm Springs-festive gold and four other colors with a removable crossbody strap. Alesandra Dubin, Travel + Leisure, 20 Feb. 2025 Similarly, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has compared the mitigation potential of various dietary patterns, with the vegan diet having the highest potential reduction of 8 gigatons of greenhouse gas emissions per year. Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 14 Feb. 2025 At the same time, a vegan diet requires careful planning to avoid downsides that come from completely cutting out too many food groups. Daryl Austin, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for vegan

Word History

Etymology

by contraction from vegetarian entry 1

First Known Use

1944, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of vegan was in 1944

Browse Nearby Entries

Cite this Entry

“Vegan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vegan. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

vegan

noun
veg·​an ˈvē-gən How to pronounce vegan (audio)
: a strict vegetarian who does not use animals or dairy products for food
vegan adjective
veganism noun

Medical Definition

vegan

noun
: a strict vegetarian who consumes no animal food or dairy products
vegan adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on vegan

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!