vegetarianism
noun
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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 vegetarianism in a Sentence
Dominique Mosbergen, Time, 16 Oct. 2025
These days, Stodden, now 31, regularly advocates for animal rights and vegetarianism with PETA.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Sep. 2025
There’s nothing new about humans seeking to optimize their health and extend their lives (Hippocrates espoused cold baths; Benjamin Franklin touted vegetarianism), but the medium has changed.
—Harvard Business Review, 20 Sep. 2025
This radically changes the entire notion of vegetarianism.
—Big Think, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vegetarianism
Cite this Entry
“Vegetarianism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vegetarianism. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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