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

See Examples For:

Vanity Fair

In December, Vanity Fair published interviews with Wiles in which she gave a blunt - and occasionally unflattering - assessment of her time working in the Trump White House.

From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026

In a Vanity Fair profile a few years ago, the reporter notes disapprovingly when Goodman eats a corned-beef sandwich and cole slaw, asking “Aren’t we supposed to be on a diet?”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

The deals bring recognizable digital and print media brands onto Netflix's platform, including Vanity Fair, Vogue, Rolling Stone, Bon Appetit, People and Variety.

From Barron's ● Jul. 7, 2026

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

From Salon ● May 31, 2026

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

From "Genuine Fraud" by E. Lockhart