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.
Vietnam turned communist; Afghanistan went right back to the Taliban; Iraq is a failed state. Paul Bedard, The Washington Examiner, 21 June 2025 Then, her family fled home when the Taliban recaptured the country in August 2021 as American troops withdrew after a nearly 20-year occupation. Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 20 June 2025 The withdrawal, which was widely criticized, resulted in a resurgence of the Taliban, which sharply restricted human rights in Afghanistan. Kristina Karisch, The Hill, 18 June 2025 His brother was killed by the Taliban in 2023, while his father was abducted. Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 June 2025 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 4 Jul. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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