Vanity

Vanity refers to excessive pride in or admiration of one's own appearance, abilities, or achievements. The term derives from the Old French vanité, from Latin vanitas “emptiness, meaninglessness,” from vanus “empty.” Historically, vanity has been treated as a moral flaw in many cultures, with warnings against pride and self-regard in religious and philosophical traditions. In modern usage, vanity can describe both preoccupation with appearance and a broader sense of self-importance that can disregard others.

In furniture, a vanity is a dressing table or similar piece with a mirror, used to groom and apply cosmetics. The term can refer to the stand-alone piece or an integrated element in a bedroom or dressing area.

In art and literature, the related term vanitas describes a genre of still-life painting popular in the 16th and 17th centuries that uses symbols such as skulls, hourglasses, and decaying fruit to remind viewers of life’s transience and the futility of worldly pleasures. Vanitas imagery often conveyed moral messages about the vanity of earthly goods.

Vanity also appears in religious and philosophical discourse as a caution against pride, and in psychology where it overlaps with narcissism and self-esteem. Extreme vanity can distort judgment and damage relationships. In contemporary life, vanity metrics refer to superficial measurements—such as follower counts or page views—that may not reflect meaningful outcomes, while vanity plates or vanity URLs signal status or individuality.