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.
Synonyms
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
Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 16 Jan. 2025
In the stairwell, a multimedia work the homeowners acquired on a trip to Pakistan, Girl Without a Pearl Earring by Abid Aslam, is a mosaic rendering of the famous Vermeer oil vignette in metal eyelets.
—Leilani Marie Labong, Architectural Digest, 15 Jan. 2025
PCMAG, 12 Nov. 2024
Silverbacks albums are always a tapestry of different ideas and themes, vignettes more than a clean narrative.
—Ryan Leas, SPIN, 3 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for vignette 
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Noun
The fantasy vignettes and shifts of perspective are a device likely aimed both at kids who love a good visual gag and at anyone who wants sports stories to be about more than what’s on the field; the sweat monsters and orange soda oracles off the field are included.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 16 Jan. 2025
In the stairwell, a multimedia work the homeowners acquired on a trip to Pakistan, Girl Without a Pearl Earring by Abid Aslam, is a mosaic rendering of the famous Vermeer oil vignette in metal eyelets.
—Leilani Marie Labong, Architectural Digest, 15 Jan. 2025
Verb
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
Silverbacks albums are always a tapestry of different ideas and themes, vignettes more than a clean narrative.
—Ryan Leas, SPIN, 3 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for vignette
Dictionary Entries Near vignette
Cite this Entry
“Vignette.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vignette. Accessed 23 Jan. 2025.
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