Hippie
/ˈhɪp.i/noun
A person associated with the counterculture of the 1960s and early 1970s, often emphasizing peace, communal living, and rejection of conventional values.
Did you know?The deeper origin of hip remains uncertain, but one influential theory connects it to Wolof hipi, meaning “to open one’s eyes,” a striking match for the counterculture’s language of awakening.
Etymological Timeline
Possibly 19th Century
Wolof?
hipi
“A proposed source meaning “to open the eyes”; this connection is debated rather than proven.”
Late 19th Century
American English
hep
“Aware, informed, or knowledgeable about current styles and subcultures.”
Early 20th Century
American English
hip
“A variant of hep meaning sophisticated, alert, or “in the know.””
1940s–1950s
American English
hipster
“A person deeply familiar with jazz, especially its cultural codes and underground scene.”
1953
American English
hippie
“A young person associated with the emerging bohemian or beat-influenced counterculture.”
1960s–1970s
American English
hippie
“A member or symbol of the broader counterculture associated with peace activism, communal life, psychedelics, and alternative spirituality.”