tribal

1 of 2

adjective

trib·​al ˈtrī-bəl How to pronounce tribal (audio)
: of, relating to, or characteristic of a tribe
tribal customs
tribally adverb

tribal

2 of 2

noun

: a member of an aboriginal people of India
usually used in plural

Examples of tribal in a Sentence

Adjective a tribal solidarity that transcends all other loyalties or bonds
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.
Adjective
William Quackenbush, tribal historic preservation officer for the Ho-Chunk Nation and president of Wisconsin Inter-Tribal Repatriations Committee, attended the meeting and provided a brief history lesson of why Wisconsin started protecting these burial sites in the 1990s. Frank Vaisvilas, Journal Sentinel, 17 Dec. 2024 In other Western water news: Opposition from the Colorado River’s Upper Basin states may stop Congress from approving a Lower Basin tribal water rights settlement before President Biden leaves office. Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 17 Dec. 2024
Noun
And when Rachel responded that his path was easier because people were not targeting him, Sam was able to deftly counter that he was voted for the most times out of anyone in the final three, and was voted for at four different tribals and received 10 votes. Dalton Ross, EW.com, 19 Dec. 2024 Todd had the greatest final tribal of all time with his way with words. Dalton Ross, EW.com, 4 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for tribal 

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1632, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1953, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tribal was in 1632

Dictionary Entries Near tribal

Cite this Entry

“Tribal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tribal. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

tribal

adjective
trib·​al
ˈtrī-bəl
: of, relating to, or characteristic of a tribe
tribally
-bə-lē
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on tribal

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!