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

Islamabad accuses the Afghan Taliban government of sheltering militants behind a surge in attacks -- particularly the Pakistan Taliban, who have waged a violent campaign for years.

From Barron's • May 12, 2026

Opened in 2016, after the Americans abandoned the base and five years before the Taliban seized power in 2021, Omid was well-known and had been widely covered by domestic and international news outlets.

From BBC • May 12, 2026

She’s 28 now—it’s been more than a decade since she wrote I Am Malala, about speaking out against the Taliban as a teenager and surviving being shot at point-blank range for it.

From Slate • May 8, 2026

According to the Taliban government, 30 of the injured are university students.

From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026

She talked to us of plans for what we would do if the Taliban came.

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