vegetarianism

Attested since circa 1847, when the British Vegetarian Society was founded. From vegetarian +‎ -ism.^[1]

• (General American) IPA^(key): /vɛd͡ʒɪˈtɛɹi.ənɪzəm/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /vɛd͡ʒɪˈtɛəɹi.ənɪzəm/

• Audio (Southern England):

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vegetarianism (usually uncountable, plural vegetarianisms)

2. The practice of following a vegetarian diet.

   Synonym: Pythagoreanism

   Antonym: carnism

   • 1975 March 21, Judy Klemesrud, quoting Jean Mayer, “Vegetarianism: Growing Way of Life, Especially Among the Young”, in The New York Times‎^[1], →ISSN, archived from the original on 2 November 2025:

     Vegetarianism, he said, is an idea “that has three things going for it all at once—economics, health and compassion.”

   • 2014 April 19, Mark Oppenheimer, “Let Them Drink Chocolate”, in The New York Times‎^[2], archived from the original on 16 June 2022, retrieved 16 July 2014:

     Right now, my family’s special collision of vegetarianism and Judaism necessitates a good bit of chocolate. But when Passover ends, that doesn’t mean we should put the chocolate cake, or the chocolate milk, away.

• carnivorism
• veganism

From vegetarian +‎ -ism.

vegetarianism n (uncountable)

1. vegetarianism

vegetarian +‎ -ism

vegetarianism c

1. vegetarianism

• vegetarian
• vegetarisk

• vegetarianism in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• vegetarianism in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)