vegetarian

American  

[vej-i-tair-ee-uhn] / ˌvɛdʒ ɪˈtɛər i ən /

noun

1. a person who does not eat or does not believe in eating meat, fish, fowl, or, in some cases, any food derived from animals, as eggs or cheese, but subsists on vegetables, fruits, nuts, grain, etc.

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adjective

1. of or relating to vegetarianism or vegetarians.

2. devoted to or advocating this practice.

3. consisting solely of vegetables.

   vegetarian vegetable soup.

vegetarian British  

/ ˌvɛdʒɪˈtɛərɪən /

noun

1. a person who advocates or practises vegetarianism

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adjective

1. relating to, advocating, or practising vegetarianism

2. cookery strictly, consisting of vegetables and fruit only, but usually including milk, cheese, eggs, etc

Other Word Forms

• nonvegetarian
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of vegetarian

First recorded in 1835–45; veget(able) + -arian

Explanation

A vegetarian is someone who doesn't eat any meat, including fish. Many vegetarians eat plenty of fruits and vegetables — but others subsist on pizza and mac and cheese. This is a word that has to do with diet — what people eat. Vegetarians avoid meat, usually for health reasons, for environmental reasons, or because they believe it's wrong to kill animals for food. Vegetarians will eat some animal products, like eggs and dairy, but vegans won't. Both vegetarian and vegan diets are becoming more common. Many animals are vegetarians, including our close relative, the gorilla.

Example Sentences

Vegetarian children were found to consume higher amounts of fiber, iron, folate, vitamin C, and magnesium than omnivorous children.

From Science Daily • Dec. 21, 2025

Onion-sweet and given depth from the liberal use of mushrooms, the Vegetarian Chopped Liver won raves at a recent Yom Kippur break fast.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 10, 2025

Dinner and “The Bachelor” before bed My favorite thing is when Melanie and I order in from a place called Bulan Thai Vegetarian Kitchen.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 10, 2025

In “Fresh from Poland: New Vegetarian Cooking from the Old Country,” Warsaw-based author Michal Korkosz offers a quieter evolution of pierogi — one that leans into elegance rather than audacity.

From Salon • Apr. 30, 2025

“I can eat unadulterated vegetables. Or if you have any red bean salad handy—or stuffed cabbage leaves? Broccoli and lentil casserole? Macaroni and cheese? Vegetarian spaghetti?”

From "Walk Two Moons" by Sharon Creech