Taliban

American  

[tal-uh-ban] / ˈtæl əˌbæn /

noun

1. a Muslim fundamentalist group in Afghanistan.

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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

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Etymology

Origin of Taliban

C20: from Arabic tāliban seekers

Example Sentences

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

On May 27, Russia and Afghanistan signed a military and security cooperation agreement aimed at strengthening ties between Moscow and the Taliban regime, which took power in August 2021 after the U.S. retreat.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 30, 2026

Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said earlier that Pakistani strikes had hit targets in the provinces of Kunar, Khost and Paktika.

From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026

Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been fraught since the Taliban authorities took power in Kabul for a second time in 2021.

From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026

Going home is the one thing we don’t talk about, especially now that Fazlullah has risen from the head of the Taliban in Swat to the head of the Taliban in all of Pakistan.

From "Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Changed the World" by Malala Yousafzai