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

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

From Salon • May 31, 2026

Maureen Orth is a longtime magazine journalist whose work in Vanity Fair tackled the power and privilege of celebrity.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 2, 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

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

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer