The Vegan Society is a registered charity and oldest vegan society worldwide, founded in the United Kingdom and promoting veganism.
Founded in Britain on November 1, 1944, by Donald Watson, it was the first ever society for vegans, and coined the word vegan for "non-dairy/eggs vegetarians". The word has since passed into common usage and is used in a variety of ways, so this society was not only the first existing one, but it was the one which coined the term vegan in the first place. The date of the society's founding, November 1, is now celebrated annually as World Vegan Day.
The Vegan Society defines veganism as "...a way of living that seeks to exclude, as far as possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing and any other purpose