vegan
Americannoun
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a vegetarian who omits all animal products from the diet.
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a person who does not use any animal products, as leather or wool.
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of vegan
First recorded in 1940–45; contraction of veg(etari)an
Explanation
If you’re a vegan, you’re a strict vegetarian, and you don’t eat anything that comes from an animal, including meat, fish, eggs, and dairy. A vegan diet is heavy on fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and grains. Because only animal products contain cholesterol, vegans often have lower blood cholesterol than the bacon-cheeseburger crowd. As vegan diets have become more popular, many restaurants now offer a range of vegan choices, like veggie burgers and bean burritos. As you no doubt noticed, vegan is related to vegetarian and vegetable.
Vocabulary lists containing vegan
Common Five-letter Words for Wordle, List 3
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Nutrition - Middle School
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A Toast to Bread
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He has branded him "Tofu Talarico" and claimed falsely that he is a vegan.
From Barron's • Jun. 13, 2026
She and Sophie are preparing to launch their own vegan skincare brand, targeted at the younger end of the market.
From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026
Get enough through food or supplementation if you need it, especially if you are vegan, older or have a condition that affects absorption.
From Science Daily • May 27, 2026
“As charming as this story is, it is most likely apocryphal,” writes food writer and vegan activist Colleen Patrick-Goudreau on her Substack.
From Salon • Apr. 28, 2026
“Believe it or not, we have a lot of people who come into the coffee shop who are looking for vegan alternatives, especially for baked goods,” Mrs. Hidalgo said.
From "The First Rule of Punk" by Celia C. Pérez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
