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

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

L.A. voters have seen the arrival of AI campaign videos, an influx of dark money mailers and national media coverage from US Weekly, Vanity Fair and many other outlets, thanks in large part to Pratt.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 1, 2026

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

From Salon ● May 31, 2026

Bilton is the author of two New York Times bestsellers, served as special correspondent at Vanity Fair and has worked as a producer and executive producer on several documentaries.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026

Vanity Fair magazine published a withering article about her in its August 1996 issue.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer