al-Qaeda
noun
a radical Sunni Muslim organization dedicated to the elimination of a Western presence in Arab countries and militantly opposed to Western foreign policy: founded by Osama bin Laden in 1988.
al-Qaida
-
a variation of
al-Qaeda.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The attacks led to the war in Afghanistan, which lasted for 20 years after the invasion’s initial success in dismantling al-Qaida and removing the Taliban government.
From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026
From the cold-eyed perspective of fighting al-Qaida, you take the allies you can get in the places where they live.
From Slate ● Apr. 21, 2026
For this new “Global War on Terror” against al-Qaida, a new vocabulary and a new story were in order.
From Salon ● Dec. 13, 2025
This is a statement by the al-Qaida Central Leadership in May:
From Slate ● Aug. 9, 2024
Iran also remains unwilling to account for and bring to justice senior al-Qaida members it detained in 2003.
From National Strategy for Combating Terrorism September 2006 by National Security Council (U.S.)
