Taliban

American  

[tal-uh-ban] / ˈtæl əˌbæn /

noun

1. a Muslim fundamentalist group in Afghanistan.

---

Taliban British  

/ ˈtælɪbæn /

noun

1. (in Afghanistan) a fundamentalist Islamic army: in 1996 it defeated the ruling mujaheddin factions and seized control of the country; overthrown in 2001 by US-led forces, although reistance continues, esp in the south

---

Etymology

Origin of Taliban

C20: from Arabic tāliban seekers

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Taliban

The UN estimated shortly after Taliban authorities took power that policies excluding women could cost the economy $1 billion annually.

From Barron's ● Jul. 12, 2026

The restrictions have transformed the face of Herat, once known as Afghanistan's cultural capital where female university students outnumbered men before the Taliban government returned.

From Barron's ● Jul. 12, 2026

As early as 2021, Mr. Putin called on the international community to remove the Taliban from lists of terrorist organizations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026

Casualties were concentrated in Mandikhel, a village in the Paktika province, Taliban officials say.

From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026

The United Nations Security Council had passed a new resolution to tighten the monitoring and enforcement of sanctions against the Taliban.

From "Shooting Kabul" by N. H. Senzai