What does "vegan" mean?
A person who does not eat, drink or otherwise consume any animal products
Vegan
/ˈviːɡən/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A person who does not eat, drink or otherwise consume any animal products
- Grammar: vegan is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: animal-free, meat-free, plant-based, plant-based eater.
- Useful contrasts: meat-based, animal-derived product, butchers.
- Usage evidence: Is there a vegan dish on your menu?
How to use "vegan"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "vegan" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "vegan" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "vegan" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "vegan" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "vegan" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "animal-free" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "vegan", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A person who does not eat, drink or otherwise consume any animal products
- 2 Someone from the vicinity of the star Vega.
"Tommy looked deflated. He stepped back slightly, shaking his head. "Never saw such a resemblance. Are you a Vegan?" "No," Bart lied flatly. "Aldebaran. David Briscoe.""
- 3 Ellipsis of Las Vegan (“someone from Las Vegas”). abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
"[…] James G. Scrugham (later to become governor of the state, and a congressman) and Vegans Roy W. Martin , James Cashman and E. W. Griffith."
- 4 a strict vegetarian; someone who eats no animal or dairy products; may also avoid using animal products (e.g. leather) wordnet
- 5 A person committed to avoiding products and practices that inherently involve animal use, including all foods containing animal products, and to abstaining from direct and intentional harm to animals as far as possible; an adherent to veganism.
"Our vegan-friendly shaving brush is made with synthetic bristles instead of badger hair."
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 Someone from Vega in Norway.
- 7 Someone from Vega in Sweden.
Adjective
- 1 Not containing animal products (meat, eggs, milk, leather, etc) or inherently involving animal use. especially, not-comparable
"He eats a completely vegan diet."
- 2 Relating to the star Vega. not-comparable
- 3 Committed to avoiding any product or practice that inherently involves animal use. not-comparable
"She is not vegan as she eats eggs and wears leather."
- 4 Relating to vegans or veganism. not-comparable
"Yesterday I went to a vegan party."
Adjective
- 1 not containing any animal products wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Is there a vegan dish on your menu?"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "vegan"?
Common synonyms include: animal-free, meat-free, plant-based, plant-based eater, vegan adherent, vegan identity.
How do you use "vegan" in a sentence?
Is there a vegan dish on your menu?
How do you pronounce "vegan"?
Pronounced /ˈviːɡən/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Etymology tree Middle English vegetable English vegetable English -arian English vegetarian English vegan Clipping of vegetarian or vegetable, 1944. Coined by English vegan activist Donald Watson of the Vegan Society and first used in the name of The Vegan News.
Etymology 2
From Vega + -an.