ENGLISH
REFERENCE

vogue

n. C / U
C1 Advanced US //ˈvoʊɡ// UK //vˈəʊɡ// vogue

n. the state of being popular or fashionable for a short time. You use this to describe a style or idea that many people are interested in right now.

n. the prevailing fashion or style at a particular time. Often used in the prepositional phrase 'in vogue' to indicate current popularity or widespread acceptance.


SIMPLE

Minimalist furniture is back in vogue this year.

CONTEXTUAL

The vogue for organic gardening has led to a significant increase in local seed exchanges.

COMPLEX

While the vogue for structuralist analysis dominated the department for decades, it has recently been supplanted by more fluid, interdisciplinary approaches to literary criticism.

Synonyms
Origin

First attested in 1565. Borrowed from Middle French vogue (“wave, course of success”), from Old French vogue, from voguer (“to row, sway, set sail”), from Old Saxon wogōn (“to sway, rock”), var. of wagōn (“to float, fluctuate”), from Proto-Germanic wagōną (“to sway, fluctuate”) and Proto-Germanic wēgaz (“water in motion”), from Proto-Germanic weganą (“to move, carry, weigh”), from Proto-Indo-European weǵʰ- (“to move, go, transport”) (compare way). Akin to Old Saxon wegan (“to move”), Old High German wegan (“to move”), Old English wegan (“to move, carry, weigh”), Old Norse vaga (“to sway, fluctuate”), Old English wagian (“to sway, totter”), German Woge (“wave”), Swedish våg (“wave”). More at wag. The dance derives its name from Vogue magazine.

Usage

Commonly appears in the phrase 'in vogue' or followed by 'for' plus a noun phrase.

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