Pashtun
noun
Pash·tun
ˌpəsh-ˈtün 
variants
or less commonly Pushtun
plural Pashtuns also Pushtuns or Pashtun also Pushtun
: a member of a people of eastern and southern Afghanistan and adjacent parts of Pakistan
Examples of Pashtun in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
With sufficiently poor governance, even certain Pashtun tribes could revolt.
—
Carter Malkasian, Foreign Affairs, 13 Sep. 2022
Advertisement Most of the men were from Pashtun areas of Baluchistan.
—Abdul Sattar, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2024
In the 1990s, Pakistani support for the Taliban, which is a predominantly Pashtun group, demonstrated the power of this connection.
—Kamran Bokhari, Foreign Affairs, 11 Jan. 2022
The clans of two rival Pashtun tribes dominate the area, feuding like Hatfields and McCoys of the borderlands.
—Matthieu Aikins Victor J. Blue Peter Ganim Krish Seenivasan Steven Szczesniak, New York Times, 22 May 2024
Cricket’s appeal to the Taliban may be partly rooted in the sport’s long-standing popularity in ethnic Pashtun communities, where the Taliban has traditionally drawn its strongest support.
—Rick Noack, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2024
Whereas the Taliban were derived mostly of Afghans from the Pashtun east and south, Mazar-e-Sharif in the north, close to the Uzbekistan border, had significant populations of Uzbeks and Tajiks.
—Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 7 Feb. 2024
This border contestation, mixed with Islamabad’s fears of Kabul backing Pashtun nationalist causes within Pakistan, has long undermined the trust between the two countries.
—Aqil Shah, Foreign Affairs, 9 Jan. 2024
As a result, many rural Pashtun women actually saw their lives improve following the imposition of Sharia law.
—Ross McDonnell, The New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2023
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.
Carter Malkasian, Foreign Affairs, 13 Sep. 2022
Advertisement Most of the men were from Pashtun areas of Baluchistan.
—Abdul Sattar, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2024
In the 1990s, Pakistani support for the Taliban, which is a predominantly Pashtun group, demonstrated the power of this connection.
—Kamran Bokhari, Foreign Affairs, 11 Jan. 2022
The clans of two rival Pashtun tribes dominate the area, feuding like Hatfields and McCoys of the borderlands.
—Matthieu Aikins Victor J. Blue Peter Ganim Krish Seenivasan Steven Szczesniak, New York Times, 22 May 2024
Cricket’s appeal to the Taliban may be partly rooted in the sport’s long-standing popularity in ethnic Pashtun communities, where the Taliban has traditionally drawn its strongest support.
—Rick Noack, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2024
Whereas the Taliban were derived mostly of Afghans from the Pashtun east and south, Mazar-e-Sharif in the north, close to the Uzbekistan border, had significant populations of Uzbeks and Tajiks.
—Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 7 Feb. 2024
This border contestation, mixed with Islamabad’s fears of Kabul backing Pashtun nationalist causes within Pakistan, has long undermined the trust between the two countries.
—Aqil Shah, Foreign Affairs, 9 Jan. 2024
As a result, many rural Pashtun women actually saw their lives improve following the imposition of Sharia law.
—Ross McDonnell, The New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2023
Dictionary Entries Near Pashtun
Cite this Entry
“Pashtun.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Pashtun. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share