Vanity Fair

American

noun

(in Bunyan'sPilgrim's Progress ) a fair that goes on perpetually in the town of Vanity and symbolizes worldly ostentation and frivolity.
(often lowercase) any place or group, as the world or fashionable society, characterized by or displaying a preoccupation with idle pleasures or ostentation.
(italics) a novel (1847–48) by Thackeray.

Vanity Fair British

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Vanity Fair Cultural

(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.

Etymology

Origin of Vanity Fair

from Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress

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.

Vanity Fair dubbed her an “improbable feminist icon.”

From Slate • May 6, 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

Zendaya in a November 2024 interview in Vanity Fair pushed back on the notion that her schedule was what delayed production.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

“In high school I read jane Eyre, Vanity Fair, Great Expectations, et cetera,” Immie went on.

From "Genuine Fraud" by E. Lockhart

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023