al-Qa'ida
2
8.9
- proper noun
- /æl kɑːˈiːdə/
- NSFW
- The virtually complete withdrawal of U.S. forces from Saudi Arabia in the summer of 2003 did nothing to soften al-Qa'ida's rhetoric about American intentions there.
- al-Qa'ida rhetoric
Examples
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The terrorist organization al-Qa'ida has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks over the years.
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Whether dismissed as propaganda and lies or embraced as truth, this war of words is probably far more dangerous to al-Qa'ida's foes than is widely realized.
Academic text (2005) -
Does this make al-Qa'ida's sacred geography more attractive?
Academic text (2005) -
The scarce academic experts explained the events to a fearful public, which had never heard of al-Qa'ida and could not find Afghanistan on a map.
Academic text (2005) -
Al-Qa'ida apparently prefers targets that are of high prestige or symbolic value and whose destruction would have maximum economic impact.
Academic text (2005) -
Al-Qa'ida rhetoric articulates a discernible ranking of geographical concerns and ambitions.
Academic text (2005) -
Ultimately, the very existence of al-Qa'ida and other organizations may be rooted in notions of space and place—particularly of place.
Academic text (2005) -
Thus, there appears to be more rationale than ever for what al-Qa'ida claims as its fundamentally geographical reason for being, and more reason than ever to expect that al-Qa'ida has American civilians at home firmly in its crosshairs.
Academic text (2005) -
Political actors capitalized on the fear and broadened the conflict to Iraq, feeding anti-American sentiment and inadvertently aiding al-Qa'ida's recruitment efforts in the region.
Academic text (2005) -
In the wake of the 9/11 attacks, al-Qa'ida emerged as a prominent terror group known for its extremist ideologies.
Synonyms
542
9.3
An armed Islamic group that plans terrorist attacks against the United States and other countries
528
9.2
A militant Islamic group that carries out terrorist attacks worldwide
87
7.5
A violent Islamic group that plans attacks around the world
83
8.6
An international violent group that follows extreme Islamic ideas and carries out terrorist attacks
82
8.6
A violent group that says it acts for Islam and often plans attacks against the United States
68
9.9
A violent Islamist group that carries out terrorist attacks worldwide
Surface Forms
Etymology
Al-Qa'ida comes from Arabic parts al- (meaning 'the') and qa'ida (meaning 'base' or 'foundation'). So the name literally means 'the base', which helps you remember it is the name of an international group that served as a central 'base' for fighters and operations known for organising attacks.