Do Vegans Care More About Animals Than People?

[Binkie The Clown]

13. Let me see. Miriam Webster, respected authority vs a complete stranger's own definition...

Yup. I'm going to take the authority's word for it.

But just in case, let me consult a few other authorities:

Dictionary.com

vegan
[vee-guh n, vey-]

noun
1. a vegetarian who omits all animal products from the diet.
2. a person who does not use any animal products, as leather or wool.

Or this source:

vegan [ve´gan, vej´an]
a vegetarian who excludes from the diet all food of animal origin.
Miller-Keane Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health, Seventh Edition. © 2003 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.
veg·an (veg'ăn),
A strict vegetarian; that is, one who consumes no animal or dairy products of any type. Compare: vegetarian.
Farlex Partner Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
vegan /veg·an/ (ve´gan) (vej´an) a vegetarian whose diet excludes all food of animal origin.
Dorland's Medical Dictionary for Health Consumers. © 2007 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.
ve·gan (vē′gən, vĕj′ən)
n.
A vegetarian who eats plant products only, especially one who uses no products derived from animals, as fur or leather.
The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2007, 2004 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
vegan
See strict vegetarian.
Mosby's Medical Dictionary, 9th edition. © 2009, Elsevier.
vegan A vegetarian who consumes only plant foods (vegetables, fruits, grains, beans and nuts) and no animal products (meat, fish, dairy products, eggs). Vegans are at risk for vitamin B12 deficiency; vegan adolescents may not meet energy requirements during the growth spurt, and become deficient in vitamin B6, riboflavin, vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, zinc, iron, iodine and trace minerals.
Segen's Medical Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.
vegan Pure vegetarian, strict vegetarian Nutrition A vegetarian who consumes only plant foods–vegetables, fruits, grains, beans, nuts–ie, no animal products, meat, fish, dairy products, and eggs; vegans are at ↑ risk for vitamin B12 deficiency; vegan adolescents may not meet energy requirements during the growth spurt, and become deficient in vitamin B6, riboflavin, calcium, zinc, iron, trace minerals. See Diet, Pareve, Vegetarian diet, Vegetarianism; Cf Lacto-ovo vegetarian.
McGraw-Hill Concise Dictionary of Modern Medicine. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
ve·gan (vē'găn)
A strict vegetarian, one who consumes no animal or dairy products of any type.
Compare: vegetarian
Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions and Nursing © Farlex 2012
ve·gan (vē'găn)
Strict vegetarian; i.e., one who consumes no animal or dairy products.
Medical Dictionary for the Dental Professions © Farlex 2012

Oh, look at that. Other authorities agree that a vegan MAY avoid using animal products of any kind, and MIGHT do so for reasons having to do with animal cruelty, but that is not a requirement for being vegan.

So, I guess just to be a difficult contrarian, I'm going to go with the definition most commonly accepted by the lexicographical community for the word "vegan".

As I said before, please feel free to define the word in your own way, but please do not claim that YOUR definition is the one and only correct definition. Again: Your opinion is not a universal fact.