Pashtun

noun

Pash·​tun ˌpəsh-ˈtün How to pronounce Pashtun (audio)
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
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.
The restaurant’s name, Jaji, pays homage to Akbar’s lineage, drawing from both her grandfather’s surname and her Pashtun tribal roots. — Chelsea Davis, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025 With sufficiently poor governance, even certain Pashtun tribes could revolt. — Carter Malkasian, Foreign Affairs, 13 Sep. 2022

Word History

Etymology

Pashto paštun, paxtun

First Known Use

1815, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Pashtun was in 1815

Rhymes for Pashtun

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Browse Nearby Words

Pashto
Pashtun
Pašić
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pashtun.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Pashtun. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on Pashtun

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Pashtun

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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