Taliban

plural noun

Tal·​i·​ban ˈtä-li-ˌbän 

ˈta-li-ˌban

: a fundamentalist Islamic militia in Afghanistan

Examples of Taliban in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These measures attracted widespread international condemnation, with several countries and the United Nations criticizing the Taliban’s treatment of women. — Andrew Pereira, Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 Aug. 2026

The force has since supported several non-state actors in the Middle East, from Hamas in Gaza to the Houthis in Yemen and even the Taliban in Afghanistan during the 1990s. — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026

Islamabad accuses Afghanistan’s Taliban government of harboring militants who carry out attacks inside Pakistan — a charge Kabul denies. — Abdul Qahar Afghan, Fortune, 19 Aug. 2026

If Biden had abandoned that commitment and stayed in Afghanistan, the Taliban would certainly have resumed their military offensive, and the Afghan army might have collapsed anyway in the long run. — Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1992, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for Taliban

• businessman
• canavan
• caravan
• constantan
• dragoman
• fisherman
• handyman
• harmattan
• journeyman
• marianne
• middleman
• minivan