A Burkha is an enveloping outer garment worn by women in some Islamic traditions for the purpose of hiding a female's body when out in public. It is worn over the usual daily clothing (often a long dress or a shalwar kameez) and removed when the woman returns to the sanctuary of the household, out of the view of men that are not their husbands, fathers, brothers, uncles, sons and grandsons.

The burkha is usually understood to be the woman's loose body-covering, plus the head-covering (taking the most usual meaning), plus the face-veil. The face-veil portion is usually a rectangular piece of semi-transparent cloth whose top side is sewn to corresponding portion of the head-scarf, so that the veil hangs down loose from the scarf, and it can be turned up if the woman wishes to reveal her face (otherwise the whole face would be covered). In other cases, the face-veil part can be a side-attached cloth which covers the face below the eyes' region.

The burkha is worn as a loose-fitting outer garment covering the usual daily clothing. As it is usually worn for several hours at a time, it is important that the wearer should not feel uncomfortable. It should be of a material which can absorb perspiration and allow free movement of air. Purely synthetic fabrics would be unsuitable, because many people are allergic to them. For those ladies who need to move out of their homes often, but continue to wear the burkha, the garment should have a good appearance in addition to other qualities.