bin Laden

American

[bin lahd-n] / bɪn ˈlɑd n /

Or Bin Laden

noun

Osama, 1957–2011, Arab militant leader: founder of al-Qaeda.

bin Laden British

/ ˌbɪnˈlɑːdən /

noun

Osama (əʊˈsɑːmə). 1957–2011, Saudi-born leader of the al-Qaida terrorist network: presumed architect of the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington of September 11 2001. Killed by US Special Forces in Abbottabad, Pakistan

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

Osama bin Laden was leading al Qaeda, the liar loans that soon prompted the Great Recession were being issued, and our capital was awash in muck and corruption.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026

Before one game, U.S. manager Mark DeRosa invited Robert O’Neill, one of the members of the Navy Seal team that killed Osama bin Laden, to address the team.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026

Former president Barack Obama released a Situation Room view when Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was killed in a US special forces raid in Pakistan in 2011.

From Barron's • Feb. 28, 2026

Barack Obama captured Osama bin Laden in Pakistan in 2011, but remained at war in Afghanistan for the remainder of his presidency.

From Slate • Jan. 5, 2026

Sometime early in 2011, Barack mentioned Osama bin Laden.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023