Taliban Definition & Meaning

American

British

Etymology

Examples

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.

It also divides Pashtun communities who live on either side -- the ethnic group from which the Taliban, which returned to power in Kabul in 2021, draws much of its support.

From Barron's

Afghan Taliban officials have visited Bangladesh and met Islamist leaders who are seeking to increase their political influence ahead of elections due in February, Islamist officials in Dhaka said Monday.

From Barron's

Unlike other Central Asian leaders, Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon, who has been in power since 1992, has criticised the Taliban and urged them to respect the rights of ethnic Tajiks in Afghanistan.

From Barron's

"It sounds very strange or very bizarre today, but we were exporting to Kabul," where the Taliban now govern with their strict interpretation of Islam, Bhandara said.

From Barron's

“Abdulhaq did not cover his face while on mission, leaving him recognizable to Taliban informants, further endangering his life.”

From Los Angeles Times

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.