Pashtun

American  

[pash-toon, pahsh-, puhsh-] / ˌpæʃˈtun, ˌpɑʃ-, ˌpʌʃ- /

Sometimes Pukhtun also Pushtun

noun

1. a people of eastern and southern Afghanistan and neighboring regions of northwest Pakistan; the dominant ethnic group in Afghanistan.

2. Also called Pathan.  a member of the Pashtun people.

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the Pashtun people.

Etymology

Origin of Pashtun

First recorded in 1810–20; from Pashto Pəx̌tānə, Pax̌tūn, Pəshtūn

Example Sentences

The city grabbed international attention in 2001, when the Sunni Pashtun Taliban authorities destroyed two large Buddha statues cherished by the predominantly Shia Hazara community in the region.

From Barron's • Feb. 1, 2026

Among the groups of mujahideen who fought the Soviets were young men from the Pashtun tribe who had studied at Islamic religious schools in Pakistan.

From Textbooks • Dec. 14, 2022

And internal security has been a near constant problem due to insurgencies in ethnic Pashtun and Baloch regions.

From Reuters • Nov. 17, 2022

The promise made by the Taliban - in Pashtun areas straddling Pakistan and Afghanistan - was to restore peace and security and enforce their own austere version of Sharia, or Islamic law, once in power.

From BBC • Aug. 12, 2022

It was the biggest exodus in Pashtun history.

From "Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Changed the World" by Malala Yousafzai