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
Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 15 May 2024
Continuing her parents' commitment to vegetarianism and animal rights, her eponymous label is known as much for its emphasis on sustainability and animal-friendly practices as for its chic designs.
—John Russell, Peoplemag, 9 May 2024
So did my change from a heavy red meat diet to vegetarianism change my prowess in the gym?
—Bryant Stamford, The Courier-Journal, 18 Apr. 2024
In this clunky, too-long allegory promoting vegetarianism, Troughton had little time to dazzle, spending much of the story kidnapped, knocked out, or chowing down on a Spanish feast.
—Adam Lujan, EW.com, 14 Dec. 2023
Even Karla, who doesn’t eat meat, enjoys a pork tamale because tradition trumps vegetarianism.
—Natalia Molina, Los Angeles Times, 14 Dec. 2023
For example, folks who struggle to consume enough protein in the morning could benefit from them (throwing together a protein shake is a quick, easy option), as could people with certain food allergies and those following specific diets, like veganism or vegetarianism, Ehsani says.
—Jenny McCoy, Glamour, 2 Feb. 2024
Compared to switching to vegetarianism or veganism to avoid the extensive carbon emissions associated with animal agriculture, money is easy to move.
—Matt Simon, WIRED, 21 Dec. 2023
The celebratory meal featured a roasted pig (which the couple didn’t eat both because of their vegetarianism and Jewish dietary laws).
—Alix Wall, New York Times, 27 Oct. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'vegetarianism.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Vegetarianism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vegetarianism. Accessed 23 May. 2024.
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