vegetarian

1 of 2

noun

veg·​e·​tar·​i·​an ˌve-jə-ˈter-ē-ən How to pronounce vegetarian (audio)
1
: a person who does not eat meat : someone whose diet consists wholly of vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts, and sometimes eggs or dairy products
2

vegetarian

2 of 2

adjective

1
: of, relating to, or suitable for vegetarians
a vegetarian restaurant
2
: not containing meat : consisting wholly of vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts, and sometimes eggs or dairy products
a vegetarian diet
vegetarian lunch

Did you know?

The Difference Between Vegetarian, Vegan, and Other Diets

The word vegetarian sprouted up in 1839. Fruitarian ("a person who lives on fruit") ripened by 1893. In 1944, vegetarians who consume no animal or dairy products began calling themselves vegans. Then, in 1993, those who eat fish but no other meat chose pesce, the Italian word for "fish," to create the designation pescatarian. In that same year, meatatarian was served up as a word for those whose diet largely includes meat; that word is rare, however, and is usually used in informal and humorous ways, making it the type of fare not included in our dictionaries. Another fairly recent dietary word is flexitarian, a person who follows a mostly vegetarian diet but occasionally eats meat or fish.

Examples of vegetarian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Cold water fatty fish – remember the SMASH acronym: salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines and herring – are the best sources of omega-3s, but vegetarians or vegans can get their fix from flaxseeds, chia seeds and walnuts. Georgia Day, Glamour, 12 Mar. 2024 If making the soup vegetarian: In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, heat the olive oil. 2. Ali Slagle, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2024 According to Young, Tran grew uncomfortable with the suffering attached to cows and pigs and became a vegetarian before moving to the United States in 2015. Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 19 Jan. 2024 The value menu prices vary from $1.19 to $2.99 and feature a variety of options for meat eaters and vegetarians alike, like the Cheesy Bean & Rice Burrito for $1.49 and the new $1.99 Double Stacked Taco. Julia Gomez, The Courier-Journal, 9 Jan. 2024 Stock: Vegetable stock is used to keep this soup vegetarian, but feel free to swap with chicken stock or broth if needed. Marianne Williams, Southern Living, 13 Dec. 2023 But that diet may look more flexitarian and less strict vegetarian. Byirina Ivanova, Fortune, 17 Feb. 2024 Lara, fairweather vegetarian, had one job: Cook hot dogs over a fire. Joanne Spataro, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024 Pérez, a vegetarian, has had an impact on Flay's methods in the kitchen. Chris Barilla, Peoplemag, 15 Jan. 2024
Adjective
His vegetarian daughter once took him to a vegan restaurant where Joo tried soy meat for the first time. Min Joo Kim, Washington Post, 1 Apr. 2024 Fresh Fava ‘Ceviche’ With Grapefruit And Chilies This vegetarian spin on ceviche uses fresh fava beans in place of fish and both lime juice and grapefruit for tartness with Fresno chiles for heat. Sarah Mosqueda, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2024 Highlights include tastes of a wide range of Indian vegetarian cuisine. Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2024 When perusing the Bon Appétit 56—our 56 essential recipes to cook in 2024—you’ll find several recipes that call on this spice: Indi-Mex Lamb Keema Tacos, beloved Halal Cart Chicken Salad, vegetarian Eggplant Biryani, and punchy Pav Bhaji With So Much Butter. Carly Westerfield, Bon Appétit, 9 Mar. 2024 Also offered are several gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian options. Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 7 Mar. 2024 The crowd was mostly young, sipping on beer or water, and the restaurant’s vegetarian options seemed more popular than the burger. Tribune News Service, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024 All these recipes are vegetarian (and two are vegan), although no one is stopping you from adding bacon. Emily Weinstein, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2024 Honest Chandler Honest Chandler is a new restaurant serving vegetarian Indian cuisine. The Arizona Republic, 4 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'vegetarian.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

veget(able) entry 1 + -arian

First Known Use

Noun

1842, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1841, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of vegetarian was in 1841

Dictionary Entries Near vegetarian

Cite this Entry

“Vegetarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vegetarian. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

vegetarian

1 of 2 noun
veg·​e·​tar·​i·​an ˌvej-ə-ˈter-ē-ən How to pronounce vegetarian (audio)
1
: a person who refrains from eating meat and lives on a diet made up of vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts, and sometimes eggs or dairy products
2

vegetarian

2 of 2 adjective
1
: of or relating to vegetarians
2
: consisting wholly of vegetables
a vegetarian diet

Medical Definition

vegetarian

1 of 2 noun
veg·​e·​tar·​i·​an ˌvej-ə-ˈter-ē-ən How to pronounce vegetarian (audio)
: an individual who believes in or practices vegetarianism

vegetarian

2 of 2 adjective
1
: of or relating to vegetarians
2
: consisting wholly of vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts, and sometimes eggs or dairy products
a vegetarian diet
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