al-Qaeda

American  

[al-key-duh, ‑-kahy-duh] / ælˈkeɪ də, ‑ˈkaɪ də /

Or al-Qaida

noun

1. 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-Qaeda British  

/ ælˈkaɪdə, ælkɑːˈiːdə /

noun

1. a loosely-knit militant Islamic organization led and funded by Osama bin Laden, by whom it was established in the late 1980s from Arab volunteers who had fought the Soviet troops previously based in Afghanistan; known or believed to be behind a number of operations against Western, especially US, interests, including bomb attacks on two US embassies in Africa in 1998 and the destruction of the World Trade Center in New York in 2001

---

Al Qaeda Cultural  

1. An Islamic terrorist network headed by Osama bin Laden. It is generally believed to have been responsible for the September 11 attacks.

---

Etymology

Origin of al-Qaeda

From the Arabic word al-qa'ida, literally, the base

Example Sentences

Mahmood Habibi, a telecoms consultant, was abducted in Kabul in August 2022, shortly after a US strike that killed al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.

From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026

Muhammad Rahim arrived at Guantanamo in March 2008 and was accused by the CIA of being a close associate of the al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden.

From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026

He wrote extensively about the rise of al-Qaeda affiliates in the region and the growing influence of tech and new outsourcing industries while cultivating a taste for offbeat and obscure stories.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026

Aside from the ongoing menace of nuclear annihilation, the biggest threat we’ve faced as a country was 9/11 when the country’s mainland was attacked by al-Qaeda.

From Salon • Jan. 13, 2026

“It is not good that outside elements, like al-Qaeda, are ruining Afghanistan.”

From "Shooting Kabul" by N. H. Senzai