al-Qaeda

Or al-Qai·da

[al-key-duh, ‑-kahy-duh]

noun

1. a radical Sunni Muslim organization dedicated to the elimination of a Western presence in Arab countries and militantly opposed to Western foreign policy: founded by Osama bin Laden in 1988.

al-Qaeda

/ ælˈkaɪdə, ælkɑːˈiːdə /

noun

1. a loosely-knit militant Islamic organization led and funded by Osama bin Laden, by whom it was established in the late 1980s from Arab volunteers who had fought the Soviet troops previously based in Afghanistan; known or believed to be behind a number of operations against Western, especially US, interests, including bomb attacks on two US embassies in Africa in 1998 and the destruction of the World Trade Center in New York in 2001

Al Qaeda

1. An Islamic terrorist network headed by Osama bin Laden. It is generally believed to have been responsible for the September 11 attacks.

Word History and Origins

Origin of al-Qaeda¹

From the Arabic word al-qa'ida, literally, the base

Word History and Origins

Origin of al-Qaeda¹

C20: from Arabic al-qā`ida the base

Example Sentences

HTS is a former al-Qaeda affiliate that is still designated as a terrorist organisation by the UN and UK, but no longer by the US.

From BBC

HTS is a former al-Qaeda affiliate that is still designated as a terrorist organisation by the UN and UK, but no longer the US.

From BBC

Rudakubana, now 18, also admitted producing the biological toxin ricin in his bedroom and possession of terrorist material relating to an article containing an al-Qaeda training manual.

From BBC

The Overt plotters had an al-Qaeda recipe for a liquid bomb disguised as a soft drink - and they planned to blow up transatlantic planes.

From BBC

Authorities arrested several suspects at the time saying they appeared to have been inspired by IS and al-Qaeda.

From BBC