phyle

noun

phy·​le ˈfī-(ˌ)lē How to pronounce phyle (audio)
plural phylae ˈfī-(ˌ)lē How to pronounce phyle (audio)
: the largest political subdivision among the ancient Athenians

Examples of phyle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Some have promiscuously accused the red phyle of hate speech and white supremacy, rendering the terms less powerful when required to describe the real thing. Michael Gerson, Alaska Dispatch News, 19 Sep. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'phyle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Greek phylē tribe, phyle

First Known Use

1851, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of phyle was in 1851

Dictionary Entries Near phyle

Cite this Entry

“Phyle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/phyle. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

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