hawala

H4A1W4A1L1A1
/həˈwɑːlə/

noun

A long-established informal system of money transfer from South Asia and the Middle East, still in use by migrant workers.

OriginArabic حَوَالَة →
UncommonScrabble 12
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Meanings

nounhawala (countable and uncountable, plural hawalas)

plural hawalas · alternative hawalla · alternative hewala · alternative havala · alternative xawala · alternative havaleh

  1. countableuncountableIslamic financeA long-established informal system of money transfer from South Asia and the Middle East, still in use by migrant workers.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
hundi

Origin

  1. Arabicحَوَالَة
  2. Arabicحَوَالَة
  3. Englishhawala

Borrowed from Arabic حَوَالَة (ḥawāla, “transfer, trust”).

More words from Arabic

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic حَوَالَة
  • حَوَالَة (ḥawāla)money transfer
Bengali হুন্ডি, হাওলা
  • হুন্ডি (hunḍi)money transfer
  • হাওলা (haōla)money transfer
Chinese Mandarin 哈瓦拉
  • 哈瓦拉money transfer
Hindi हवाला
  • हवाला (havālā)money transfer
Urdu ہُنْڈی, حَوَالَہ
  • ہُنْڈی (hunḍī)money transfer
  • حَوَالَہ (havāla)money transfer

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

halawawahala
Cite this entry
APA

hawala. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hawala

MLA

“hawala.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hawala. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hawala,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hawala.

Source: hawala on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.