vegan

The word “vegan” means containing no animal products at all, such as meat, eggs, dairy, or leather. In plain terms, someone (or something) that avoids all animal products, going further than vegetarian.

“Vegan” is pronounced VEE-guhn (/ˈviːɡən/ in IPA).

Here is “vegan” used in a sentence: “The bakery now offers a fully vegan menu with dairy-free pastries.”

Depending on how it is used, “vegan” can be an adjective and a noun.

The word “vegan” dates back to around 1944. Coined in 1944 by Donald Watson, founder of the Vegan Society, as a shortened form of "vegetarian.".

“Vegan” is an uncommon word in modern English.

“Vegan” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: containing no animal products at all, such as meat, eggs, dairy, or leather.

A vegetarian avoids meat but may still eat animal products such as eggs, milk, and cheese. A vegan avoids all animal products entirely, including eggs, dairy, and honey, and often extends this to non-food items like leather.

'Vegan' describes food or products that contain no animal ingredients at all, and often reflects a wider ethical lifestyle. 'Plant-based' usually describes a diet built mainly around plant foods, but the term is used more loosely and sometimes still allows occasional animal products.

Yes. Because a vegan avoids every kind of animal product, 'vegan' can describe non-food items too, such as vegan leather, cosmetics, or clothing made without any animal-derived materials.