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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

"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

Etymology

Origin of Taliban

C20: from Arabic tāliban seekers

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.

See Examples For:

Afghanistan's Taliban government denies the country's involvement in militancy in Pakistan.

From Barron's Jul. 17, 2026

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

The women told him how they escaped the Taliban in Afghanistan to keep their dreams of playing cricket alive.

From BBC Jun. 24, 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

That was the first time I saw the Taliban.

From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini

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