Taliban

plural noun

Tal·​i·​ban ˈtä-li-ˌbän How to pronounce Taliban (audio)
ˈta-li-ˌban
: a fundamentalist Islamic militia in Afghanistan

Examples of Taliban in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Suspicion falls on Pakistani Taliban No group immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing, but suspicion is likely to fall on the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP. — CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026 No group immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing, but suspicion is likely to fall on the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP. — Riaz Khan, Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2026 Pakistan has witnessed a surge in militant violence in recent years, much of it blamed on the TTP, a separate group but a close ally of the Afghan Taliban, who returned to power in neighboring Afghanistan in 2021. — ABC News, 30 July 2026 Under Taliban rule in Afghanistan, women and girls have been banned from participating in sports and pushed out of education, employment and public life. — Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 26 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for Taliban

Word History

Etymology

Pashto & Persian ṭālibān, plural of ṭālib student, seeker, from Arabic

First Known Use

1992, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Taliban was in 1992

Rhymes for Taliban

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Browse Nearby Words

tali
Taliban
taliera
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Taliban.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Taliban. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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