kurta
Americannoun
-
a long-sleeved, hip-length shirt worn by men in India.
-
a sleeveless shirt worn over or under the angiya by Muslim women in India.
noun
Etymology
Origin of kurta
Borrowed into English from Hindi around 1910–15
Explanation
A kurta is a long, loose shirt commonly worn in South Asia. In Indian cities, it's very common for both men and women to wear kurtas with jeans. A kurta is a kind of tunic, or long, collarless top. In various South Asian countries, kurtas are worn with loose trousers called shalwars or tighter pants known as churidars. Lightweight summer kurtas are made of cotton and silk, and in winter people often wear heavier wool kurtas. The word comes from Urdu, and its Persian root is kurtah, "a collarless shirt."
Vocabulary lists containing kurta
Red, White, and Whole
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Rickshaw Girl
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Amil and the After
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
He was as comfortable wearing an Indian kurta as in a shirt and tie.
From BBC • Jan. 25, 2026
He wore a traditional knee-length shirt called a kurta and slippers that dramatically curl at the toes.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 8, 2025
He was wearing a silken Indian kurta, a traditional shirt, the same one he had worn 20 years earlier at one of our pre-wedding functions.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 23, 2022
Photos from the presidential palace archives show the planting ceremony in August 1999: A proud Mr. Khan, in his usual white kurta suit and white cap, watched as President K.R.
From New York Times • Jul. 1, 2022
She’d been dressed in a kurta top, which he liked.
From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
