It's a literal translation from the Arabic "ال قاعدة" (al-qāʿida). The name has a dual meaning:
* Literally, "the base" refers to a foundation or a base of operations.
* Figuratively, it can also refer to a foundation of ideology or belief.
While the name initially referred to the specific training camps established in Afghanistan during the 1980s, it later came to signify the entire network of jihadist organizations associated with Osama bin Laden and his ideology.