Vlog Meaning: What a Vlog (and a Vlogger) Is
Video plus blog gives you vlog, and the vlog meaning is just as literal: a blog told on camera. Merriam-Webster traces the word to that blend. Checked against Merriam-Webster Dictionary: vlog Cambridge Dictionary spells out what goes into one: “a record of your thoughts, opinions, or experiences that you film and publish on the internet.” Checked against Cambridge Dictionary: vlog The person filming is a vlogger; the activity is vlogging.
Merriam-Webster, Dictionary.com and Cambridge all have entries for vlog, compared below, followed by vlog vs blog and whether a short TikTok counts. The rest of our creator vocabulary is in the social media glossary.
Vlog Meaning: A Video Blog
A vlog is a blog in video form: instead of writing up your weekend, you film it and post the video. The word works as a noun and as a verb, and Merriam-Webster lists both, so you can post a vlog or vlog a trip. Checked against Merriam-Webster Dictionary: vlog
Three lines you might see, all written by us:
- “New vlog is up: a rainy Saturday at the farmers’ market.”
- “I’m vlogging the whole road trip, so expect five parts.”
- “Her vlogs are mostly cooking and the commute.”
What Dictionaries Say a Vlog Is
The dictionaries agree that a vlog is a blog built on video; they differ on how much video it takes and on the date.
| Dictionary | Definition | Also notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merriam-Webster | ”a blog that contains video material” | From video + blog; first known use 2002; vlog is also a verb | Checked against Merriam-Webster Dictionary: vlog |
| Dictionary.com | ”a blog that features mostly videos rather than text or images” | First recorded 2000–05; the verb means to maintain or add posts to a vlog | Checked against Dictionary.com: vlog |
| Cambridge Dictionary | ”a video blog: a record of your thoughts, opinions, or experiences that you film and publish on the internet” | Lists vlogger and vlogging | Checked against Cambridge Dictionary: vlog |
| Collins (British entry, shown on Dictionary.com) | A video journal uploaded to the internet | — | Checked against Dictionary.com: vlog |
Read side by side, Merriam-Webster’s is the loosest, since any blog that contains video qualifies. Dictionary.com’s asks for mostly video. Cambridge’s and Collins’s describe what goes in it: a personal record, a journal. On the date, Merriam-Webster says 2002 and Dictionary.com says 2000–05, so the two agree.
Vlog vs Blog: What’s the Difference?
A blog is written first; a vlog is filmed first. Merriam-Webster defines a blog as “a website that contains online personal reflections, comments, and often hyperlinks, videos, and photographs provided by the writer,” Checked against Merriam-Webster Dictionary: blog so a blog can include video. A vlog flips the balance: Dictionary.com’s definition is a blog that features mostly videos rather than text or images. Checked against Dictionary.com: vlog
| Blog | Vlog | |
|---|---|---|
| What carries it | Writing: “personal reflections, comments,” often with links, videos and photos | Video: “mostly videos rather than text or images” |
| Where the word comes from | Short for Weblog | video + blog |
| Merriam-Webster’s date | 1999 | 2002, first known use (Dictionary.com: first recorded 2000–05) |
| Where it’s published | ”a website” | Filmed and published “on the internet” |
So a written travel diary with a few clips embedded is still a blog. Tell the same trip on camera, with a line of text underneath, and it’s a vlog.
What Is a Vlogger? Vlogging Explained
A vlogger is the person who makes vlogs, and vlogging is the act of making them. Merriam-Webster lists vlogger as a noun beside vlog, Checked against Merriam-Webster Dictionary: vlog Cambridge Dictionary lists vlogger and vlogging in its entry, Checked against Cambridge Dictionary: vlog and Dictionary.com’s verb sense, to maintain or add posts to a vlog, is what vloggers do. Checked against Dictionary.com: vlog
That makes the vlogger meaning broad. Nothing in Cambridge’s wording asks for a big audience or a particular app: film your thoughts or experiences, publish them online, and the word fits. In use (our examples):
- “He’s a travel vlogger, so every trip turns into three videos.”
- “We started vlogging the garden last spring.”
- “Two vloggers, one camera and a very long train ride.”
Is a TikTok a Vlog?
It can be. None of the definitions above sets a length or names an app. Cambridge’s test is what the video records: your thoughts, opinions or experiences, filmed and published on the internet. Checked against Cambridge Dictionary: vlog A short clip talking through your day passes that test.
So what’s a vlog in a feed full of short clips? A video of any length, as long as it records your own thoughts, opinions or experiences. Two short-video formats have glossary pages of their own, get ready with me (GRWM) videos and POV videos, and whether one of those is also a vlog comes down to the same test.
Posting a Vlog Across YouTube, TikTok and Instagram
One vlog can feed several platforms, but each needs its own cut and its own words. Each platform sets its own length limits, so check them before you edit: our guides cover how long TikTok videos can be, how long Instagram videos can be and scheduling YouTube videos and Shorts.
The text around the video changes too, because a YouTube description and a TikTok caption do different jobs. The free TikTok caption generator drafts the short version, and if YouTube is home base, our plan for growing a YouTube channel covers what to make and how to package it.
For a brand, the word is a promise. By Cambridge’s definition a vlog is a record of someone’s thoughts, opinions or experiences, so a behind-the-scenes day or a founder’s week can carry the label; a product ad shouldn’t. And if one takes off, here’s what going viral actually means.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a vlog and a blog?
A blog is led by writing and a vlog by video. Merriam-Webster defines a blog as a website of personal reflections, comments and often links, videos and photos provided by the writer. Dictionary.com defines a vlog as a blog that features mostly videos rather than text or images.
What does vlog stand for?
Vlog stands for video blog. Merriam-Webster traces the word to video plus blog, with a first known use in 2002, and Dictionary.com says it was first recorded in 2000–05. Blog is itself short for Weblog, and Merriam-Webster dates blog to 1999.
What is a vlogger?
A vlogger is someone who makes vlogs: videos recording their thoughts, opinions or experiences, filmed and published online. Merriam-Webster lists vlogger as a noun alongside vlog, and Cambridge Dictionary lists vlogger and vlogging in its entry for vlog.
Is a TikTok a vlog?
It can be. Cambridge Dictionary defines a vlog by what it records: your thoughts, opinions or experiences, filmed and published on the internet. That definition says nothing about length or which app it’s on, so a short TikTok about your day fits it.