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veganism

American  
[vee-guhn-iz-uhm, vay-guhn-iz-uhm] / ˈvi gənˌɪz əm, ˈveɪ gənˌɪz əm /

noun

  1. the practice of adhering to a vegan diet or lifestyle.


Explanation

Veganism is the philosophy and practice of eating no food that comes from animals, including meat, milk, and eggs. For some, veganism also means avoiding the use of animal products like leather and fur. Veganism is the strictest form of vegetarianism, and people who follow this practice only eat plant-based foods. If you want to give veganism a try, you'll need to give up butter, cheese, and eggs — but there are plenty of substitutes made from soy, nuts, and other vegan sources. Vegan was coined in 1944, using the first three and last two letters of vegetarian, by Donald Watson, publisher of a newsletter for strict vegetarians called The Vegan News.

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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.

Veganism has come a long way from the days of limp soy hot dogs.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2024

Veganism is realistic, but it has become a tainted concept.

From Salon • Dec. 5, 2022

"Veganism is a great choice on land, where plants grow - but we're on the sea, where the fish live," says Grey.

From BBC • May 30, 2020

Veganism is no longer niche or difficult and, as industrial agriculture bends to adapt to consumer demand and its own crisis of sustainability, it is only going to get more accessible – and more popular.

From The Guardian • Apr. 1, 2018

In June, she published ”Aphro-ism: Essays on Pop Culture, Feminism, and Black Veganism from Two Sisters,” a book she wrote with her older sister, Syl Ko.

From New York Times • Nov. 28, 2017

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