Taliban

plural noun

: a fundamentalist Islamic militia in Afghanistan

Examples of Taliban in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The Taliban has maintained the ban despite appeals from the United Nations, humanitarian groups, human‑rights advocates, and several Islamic countries, insisting the issue is a domestic matter. ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026 Taliban fighters entered Kabul on 15 August 2021 as the Afghan government collapsed and US troops scrambled to complete their withdrawal from the country. Will Barker, TheWeek, 10 Aug. 2026 That's when the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) began to expand its control over the region. Hasan Ali, Christian Science Monitor, 10 Aug. 2026 The annual event was started after Mahmoud Saremi was killed during a Taliban attack on the Iranian consulate in Afghanistan on August 8, 1998. Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Taliban.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Taliban. Accessed 12 Aug. 2026.

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