Vanity Fair

American  

noun

1. (in Bunyan'sPilgrim's Progress ) a fair that goes on perpetually in the town of Vanity and symbolizes worldly ostentation and frivolity.

2. (often lowercase) any place or group, as the world or fashionable society, characterized by or displaying a preoccupation with idle pleasures or ostentation.

3. (italics) a novel (1847–48) by Thackeray.

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Vanity Fair British  

noun

1. literary (often not capitals) the social life of a community, esp of a great city, or the world in general, considered as symbolizing worldly frivolity

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Vanity Fair Cultural  

1. (1847–1848) A novel by the English author William Makepeace Thackeray. The leading character is Becky Sharp, an unscrupulous woman who gains wealth and influence by her cleverness.

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Etymology

Origin of Vanity Fair

from Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress

Example Sentences

“Our tongue is like a sword,” RZA once told Vanity Fair.

From Salon • May 31, 2026

Another, who's a Hollywood producer on the side, was recently profiled by Vanity Fair magazine.

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026

It’s ironic that many A.I. overlords are so obsessed with taste lately, lurking at Prada shows and Vanity Fair parties.

From Slate • Apr. 23, 2026

Vonn did tell Vanity Fair that she’s not crazy about the idea of the catastrophe at the Winter Games being the public’s last impression of her as a skier.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

Peter Maass’s article about Bosnia that we read today in Vanity Fair was like a gun that triggered the lost memory in my mind.

From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers