Vegan Meaning and Definition
Vegan
Pronunciation
/ˈviːɡən/
Part of Speech
Noun
Definition
A person who follows a vegetarian diet and lifestyle, avoiding all animal products, including meat, dairy, eggs, and generally, any food that comes from an animal, including honey, and most cosmetics and soaps that involve animal testing.
Examples
- She became a vegan after watching a documentary about the treatment of factory farmed animals.
- He’s been a vegan for years and says it’s the best decision he ever made.
Synonyms
- Vegetarian
- Plant-based
Antonyms
- Carnivore
- Meat-eater
Etymology
The term “vegan” was coined in 1944 by Donald Watson, an English woodworker, who founded the Vegan Society to promote a vegan lifestyle.
Usage Notes
Vegan can be used as an adjective to describe a food, lifestyle, or product that is animal-free. It is also used as a noun to describe a person who follows a vegan diet and lifestyle.
Cultural References
Veganism has been featured in various films, such as “What the Health” and “Forks Over Knives”, and has been the topic of popular books like “The China Study” and “How Not to Die”.
Idiomatic Expressions or Phrases
Fuelling the vegan revolution, a vegan lifestyle has become increasingly popular in recent years.
Related Words or Phrases
- Vegetarian
- Raw
- Plant-based
Collocations
- vegan diet
- vegan lifestyle
- vegan food
Frequency of Use
Vegan has become a widely used term in recent years, and its frequency of use is increasing as more people adopt a vegan lifestyle.
Common Misspellings
- Vigean
- Veigan
- Veggin