hippie

American  

[hip-ee] / ˈhɪp i /

Or hippy

noun

1. a person, especially of the late 1960s, who rejected established institutions and values and sought spontaneity, direct personal relations expressing love, and expanded consciousness, often expressed externally in the wearing of casual, folksy clothing and of beads, headbands, used garments, etc.

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hippie British  

/ ˈhɪpɪ /

noun

1. a variant spelling of hippy 1

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Etymology

Origin of hippie

An Americanism dating back to 1950–55; hip ⁴ + -ie

Compare meaning

How does hippie compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• beatnik vs. hippie

Example Sentences

It’s artsy hippie musician meets PBS Kids, with big, bold paintings and old instruments hanging on the walls, plus kids’ toys everywhere.

From Literature

Yet it retains a hippie vibe, with no stop lights and bumper stickers bearing slogans like “Crazy is still better than corporate.”

From The Wall Street Journal

The waterfront residence was previously described as being the perfect place to “channel your ‘hippie cowboy,’” according to an old listing.

From MarketWatch

Around the same time, George Ohsawa’s book Zen Macrobiotics introduced to the West the concept of a macrobiotic diet, which hippies popularized.

From The Wall Street Journal

While home births were once the province of counterculture hippies, Los Angeles doula Rebecca Richter said she’d been hearing from women of all walks of life “who desire more than the system is giving them.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• bohemian
• flower child
• free spirit