hijab

American  

[hi-jahb, -jab] / hɪˈdʒɑb, -ˈdʒæb /

noun

1. a traditional scarf worn by Muslim women to cover the hair and neck and sometimes the face.

2. the traditional dress code of Muslim women, calling for the covering of the entire body except the face, hands, and feet.

   to observe the hijab.

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hijab British  

/ hɪˈdʒæb, hɛˈdʒɑːb /

noun

1. a covering for the head and face, worn by Muslim women

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Etymology

Origin of hijab

First recorded in 1885–90; from Arabic ḥijāb “veil, cover, curtain,” from ḥajaba “to cover”

Explanation

A hijab is a head covering scarf that some Muslim women wear in public. For many such women, the hijab signifies both modesty and privacy. In some cases, the hijab is worn by a woman when she's with men who aren't in her own family. For other Muslims, it's equally important to wear a hijab in the presence of non-Muslims, including women. Still other practicing Muslims choose not to wear a hijab at all. The word hijab is Persian, from the Arabic ḥajaba, or "veil."

Example Sentences

In 2022, he joined the vast crowds that poured onto the streets to denounce the death in detention of young Mahsa Amini after she was arrested for wearing her hijab improperly.

From Barron's • Mar. 16, 2026

Free American women allowed themselves to say this to me, an Iranian who spent three years under forced hijab, in an Islamic Republic school.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

Influenced by Christianity, Judaism and other belief systems, Alawites celebrate Christmas, have no dietary restrictions and don’t require women to wear hijab, or head coverings.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 24, 2026

Less than two weeks after Khomeini assumed power in 1979, women took to the streets to protest his decree requiring the hijab to be worn.

From Salon • Jan. 22, 2026

The wind that’s ever present outside our lobby doors due to the way the buildings are clustered feels special when it hits my face and blows back my hijab a bit.

From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali