Meaning & use
salwar
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Meanings
nouncountableIndian
Loose, comfortable trousers with a narrow waist and wide legs, traditionally worn in South Asia.
Grammar: Countable but usually plural in form when talking about the garment as a whole: a pair of salwar.
Patterns
- wear a salwar
- a pair of salwar
- a salwar kameez
She wore a bright blue salwar to the wedding.
The shop sells salwar in many colors and fabrics.
He bought his sister a pair of salwar for the festival.
nouncountableIndian
A traditional South Asian outfit consisting of these loose trousers worn with a long tunic.
Grammar: Often written as salwar kameez; the trousers alone are the salwar.
Patterns
- a salwar kameez
- wear a salwar kameez
The guests arrived in beautiful salwar kameez.
She chose a green salwar kameez for the ceremony.
Word forms
| plural | salwars |
|---|
Common combinations
- a pair of salwar
- She packed a pair of salwar for the trip.
- salwar kameez
- He bought her a silk salwar kameez.
- wear a salwar
- Many women wear a salwar at home because it is comfortable.
- cotton salwar
- Cotton salwar is cooler in summer.
Synonyms and how they differ
- shalwar
- A different common spelling of the same garment, often used in Pakistan and older British writing.
- pajama trousers
- Similar loose trousers, but not tied to South Asian dress.
Word family
- salwar kameez noun
- The full outfit of loose trousers and a long tunic.
Commonly confused: salwar or sari? salwar or churidar?
salwar vs sari
A sari is a single long cloth wrapped around the body, not trousers.
salwar vs churidar
Churidar are tight-fitting trousers gathered at the ankle, while salwar are loose.
Practice
What is a salwar?
Choose one answer.
A salwar is loose trousers with a narrow waist, traditionally worn in South Asia, often with a long tunic. The other options describe completely different things.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “salwar”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.