kente

American  

[ken-tey] / ˈkɛn teɪ /

noun

1. a colorful fabric of Ghanaian origin: often worn as a symbol of African American pride.

   Thousands of vivid shirts made a sea of kente along the parade route.

   I hadn't realized there was so much kente cloth in all of Manhattan.

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kente British  

/ ˈkɛntɪ /

noun

1. Also called: kente cloth.  a brightly coloured handwoven cloth of Ghana, usually with some gold thread

2. the toga made of this cloth

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Etymology

Origin of kente

First recorded in 1950–55; from Twi

Example Sentences

"Unlike kente, which is largely ceremonial, the smock is everyday wear," he said, referring to another form of traditional Ghanian dress worn during major celebrations.

From Barron's • Feb. 13, 2026

Architect Susan Nwankpa Gillespie designed the exterior of the second floor of the ADU with kente cloth in mind.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 10, 2025

As Martin put it on his show: “Oh, now all of a sudden you want to put on a kente coat, now all of a sudden you want to act like you’re championing African Americans.”

From Slate • Dec. 12, 2024

His paintings are reminiscent of kente cloth, and the process has, he says, been “almost like weaving with paint”.

From BBC • Sep. 13, 2024

Everyone wears dashikis, kabas and slits, shirts sewn with kente cloth, and other traditional Ghanaian garb that I’d never be caught in at school.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer