VIP

American  

[vee-ahy-pee] / ˈviˈaɪˈpi /

Or V.I.P.

Informal.

1. very important person.

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VIP British  

abbreviation

1. very important person

2. visually impaired person

3. vasoactive intestinal peptide: a polypeptide secreted by the small intestine during digestion and also found in the brain as a neurotransmitter: large amounts in the blood cause diarrhoea

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VIP Cultural  

1. An abbreviation for “V ery I mportant P erson”: “The luncheon will be exclusive, with VIPs only.”

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Usage

What does VIP mean? VIP (or V. I. P.) is an abbreviation of very important person. VIP is an informal way to refer to someone who is notable in some way and is given special treatment in a particular setting. It is also used to describe things involving special access for such people, as in phrases like VIP treatment or VIP pass. The plural of VIP is VIPs. Example: The hotel provides additional security for the rooms reserved by VIPs like heads of state.

Etymology

Origin of VIP

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

A first group of arrivals were seen inside the VIP terminal at Istanbul airport, as a crowd of supporters carrying Palestinian flags gathered to welcome them, an AFP correspondent said.

From Barron's • May 21, 2026

Speaking to a BBC translator who pretended to be an interested would-be customer, Jaf quoted a price of £160,000 to bring a whole family to the UK on a "VIP" flight service to Manchester.

From BBC • May 19, 2026

“It was a very VIP experience, all the way around.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026

Hosted by captain David Beckham and his Spice Girl wife Victoria at their Hertfordshire mansion, this was a lavish VIP party that could have been mistaken for a World Cup-winning celebration.

From BBC • May 10, 2026

Unfortunately, Percy didn’t see much choice but to play along with her VIP tour until they could find the sea god Phorcys, even if they were walking deeper into a trap.

From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan