(in Afghanistan) a fundamentalist Islamic army: in 1996 it defeated the ruling mujaheddin factions and seized control of the country; overthrown in 2001 by US-led forces, although reistance continues, esp in the south
Word Origin
C20: from Arabic tāliban seekers
Word Origin and History for Taliban
Sunni fundamentalist movement in Afghanistan, Pashto plural of Arabic tālib "student;" so called because it originated among students in Pakistani religious schools. Group formed c.1993. Often incorrectly treated as singular in English.