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fedora

American  
[fi-dawr-uh, -dohr-uh] / fɪˈdɔr ə, -ˈdoʊr ə /

noun

  1. a soft felt hat with a curled brim, worn with the crown creased lengthwise.


fedora British  
/ fɪˈdɔːrə /

noun

  1. a soft felt or velvet medium-brimmed hat, usually with a band

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of fedora

1885–90, said to be named after Fédora, play by Victorien Sardou (1831–1908)

Explanation

A fedora is a felt hat with a wide brim and indentations on top. Many 1930s and 1940s actors wore fedoras in movies. Most fedoras are creased along the top, or crown, and pinched on either side, and they're sometimes trimmed around the center with a wide ribbon. Although fedoras might make you think of 1920s gangsters or Indiana Jones, the earliest fedoras were worn by women, and even became a symbol of the early women's rights movement. The word comes from an 1882 play, Fédora, in which the actress Sarah Bernhardt wore a fedora.

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Vocabulary lists containing fedora

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Kid Rock headlined in a furry white vest, cutoff shorts and a fedora, singing his late-1990s hit “Bawitdaba” to a modest crowd indoors.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 9, 2026

Asked why he wore an old-fashioned waistcoat and a fedora to the museum, Pedro said he began dressing this way recently, inspired by 20th-century statesmen and fictional detectives.

From BBC • Nov. 9, 2025

Michael Jackson's white fedora from the 1988 "Smooth Criminal" video is also up for auction, valued between £40,000 and £80,000.

From Barron's • Oct. 21, 2025

Apart from the critical raves and awards, though, the film made her a fashion icon via Annie’s fedora hats, vests, ties and baggy pants.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 11, 2025

The man in the fedora hat purchased four newspapers, which he handed to the others.

From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple