Vegetarian Meaning
/vɛ.d͡ʒɪˈtɛə.ɹi.ən/Definition, CEFR level A1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA person who does not eat animal flesh, or, in some cases, use any animal products.
nounAn animal that eats only plants; a herbivore.
Sentence Examples
I am a lapsed vegetarian.
I'm a vegetarian, so I'd rather not have meat, if that's okay.
I'm a vegetarian who eats a ton of meat.
CEFR Practice Quiz
My sister refuses to eat any meat, so she is a strict ____.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She has been a ____ for many years, so she does not eat any meat or fish products.
Word Origin & History
From vegetable + -arian; popularized following the foundation of the British Vegetarian Society in 1847.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
""The sight and smell of raw meat are especially odious to me, and I have often thought that if I had had to be my own cook, I should inevitably become a vegetarian, probably, indeed, return entirely to my green and salad days.""
— 1839, Fanny Kemble, Journal of a Residence on a Georgian Plantation in 1838-1839, New York: Harper and Brothers, published 1863, pp. 197-198:
"Vegetarian Society […] A society […] formed at Manchester in 1847, to promote the use of cereals, pulse, and fruit, as articles of diet; and to induce habits of abstinence from fish, flesh, and fowl, as food."
— 1897, Robert Hunter, Charles Morris, Universal Dictionary of the English Language, volume 4, page 5045:
"vegetarian […] One who abstains from animal food, living exclusively on vegetables, milk, eggs, and the like. The more strict vegetarians eat vegetables and farinaceous food only, abstaining from eggs, butter, milk, and in some cases, honey."
— 1897, Robert Hunter, Charles Morris, Universal Dictionary of the English Language, volume 4, page 5045:
"Many vegetarians abhor the thought of killing animals to feed themselves and also the methods by which animals are slaughtered."
— 1975 March 21, Judy Klemesrud, “Vegetarianism: Growing Way of Life, Especially Among the Young”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 02 Nov 2025:
"Heh heh. You hit like a vegetarian!"
— 2013, Miles Chapman, Arnell Jesko, Escape Plan, spoken by Rottmayer (Arnold Schwarzenegger):
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CEFR Practice Quiz
My sister refuses to eat any meat, so she is a strict ____.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She has been a ____ for many years, so she does not eat any meat or fish products.