What is veganism?

Question

I don't see on the site nor in the meta any satisfiyng definition of veganism. I think we should have some "reference statements" about the object of this site, thinking it should help novices to get into the subject.

The best effort to define veganism comes from this answer but it's still not complete. For example:

• it talks about cosmetics derived from animals, but in fact vegans also boycott cosmetics that have been tested on animals
• it doesn't mention that vegans also reject recreational activities that involve animal suffering or exploitation, such as circus, zoos, corridas de toros and other animal races.

Could you write down something simple yet comprehensive of what veganism is? The answer might make a distinction between the reasons and the behaviors (= things that vegans avoid).

(note: this question was originally asked on the main site, but it was put on hold stating that it was more appropriate for the site meta. so here it goes!)

Answer 1

According to the Vegan Society,

Veganism is a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.

This definition is very functional. A person is no longer 'not a vegan' if they accidentally consume an animal product. One must avoid leather and other non-food animal products to be considered vegan, in contrast to a plant-based diet. Someone with health issues that require them to consume animal products can still be considered vegan if they remove all other animal product consumption. The words "possible and practicable" are somewhat vague, but I still consider this to be a useful definition.