Vanity Fair

American

noun

(in Bunyan'sPilgrim's Progress ) a fair that goes on perpetually in the town of Vanity and symbolizes worldly ostentation and frivolity.
(often lowercase) any place or group, as the world or fashionable society, characterized by or displaying a preoccupation with idle pleasures or ostentation.
(italics) a novel (1847–48) by Thackeray.

Vanity Fair British

noun

literary (often not capitals) the social life of a community, esp of a great city, or the world in general, considered as symbolizing worldly frivolity

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Vanity Fair Cultural

(1847–1848) A novel by the English author William Makepeace Thackeray. The leading character is Becky Sharp, an unscrupulous woman who gains wealth and influence by her cleverness.

Etymology

Origin of Vanity Fair

from Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Band - now exiled from Clintonworld after a falling out around 2015 - told Vanity Fair in 2020 that he had tried to push the former president away from Epstein after the Africa trip in 2002.

From BBC

After the ceremony, Lindo told Vanity Fair that he and Jordan, who were handing out an award "did what we had to do" as they carried on presenting, but also said he wished "someone from Bafta spoke to us afterward".

From BBC

After the ceremony, Lindo told Vanity Fair, that he and Jordan, who were handing out an award "did what we had to do" as they carried on presenting, but also said he wished "someone from Bafta spoke to us afterward".

From BBC

Though representatives for Jordan and Lindo did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday, the co-stars spoke to Vanity Fair about the controversy.

From Los Angeles Times

Lagarde’s central role in shaping European debates outside the realm of monetary policy stems in part from her political experience and charismatic public persona—she has appeared on Jon Stewart’s “The Daily Show” to discuss inflation, and on the cover of fashion magazines such as Vanity Fair in France.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023