Taliban

The word “Taliban” means a Deobandi Islamist political and military movement founded in Afghanistan in 1994, which has governed the country intermittently since 1996. In plain terms, the name of an Afghan political and military movement, or one of its members.

“Taliban” is pronounced TA-lih-ban (/ˈtælɪbæn/ in IPA).

Here is “Taliban” used in a sentence: “The Taliban took control of Kabul in 1996 and again in 2021.”

Depending on how it is used, “Taliban” can be a name and a noun.

The word “Taliban” comes from Arabic. From Pashto tālibān, meaning "students," the plural of tālib ("seeker" or "student"), itself from Arabic.

“Taliban” is an uncommon word in modern English.

“Taliban” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a Deobandi Islamist political and military movement founded in Afghanistan in 1994, which has governed the country intermittently since 1996.

The Taliban is a Deobandi Islamist political and military movement founded in Afghanistan in 1994, which has governed the country intermittently since 1996. The term can also refer to an individual member of the movement or one of its fighters.

Taliban is often treated as a collective noun referring to the movement as a whole, but it can also describe an individual member, as in 'a Taliban fighter.' Usage varies depending on whether the reference is to the group or to a single person.

Yes, Taliban is capitalized because it functions as a proper noun naming a specific political and military movement, similar to the name of a political party or organization.