tribune

1 of 2

noun (1)

tri·​bune ˈtri-ˌbyün  tri-ˈbyün 

1

: a Roman official under the monarchy and the republic with the function of protecting the plebeian citizen from arbitrary action by the patrician magistrates

2

: an unofficial defender of the rights of the individual

tribuneship

ˈtri-ˌbyün-ˌship 

tri-ˈbyün-

noun

tribune

2 of 2

noun (2)

: a dais or platform from which an assembly is addressed

Synonyms

Noun (2)

• dais
• platform
• podium
• rostrum
• stage
• stand

Examples of tribune in a Sentence

Noun (2)

addressed the vast crowd from the tribune

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Trump may have proved to be a uniquely popular tribune for this constituency. —Arthur C. Brooks, Foreign Affairs, 13 Feb. 2017

My question to you on this front is, Donald Trump seems like an unlikely tribune for populism, given his wealth, given his flouting of various kinds of conventions for his own benefit, rather than that of the masses. —Foreign Affairs, 29 Dec. 2016

There were plenty of open spots in the media tribune; only two dozen or so reporters stuck around for postgame interviews. —Ben Golliver, Washington Post, 30 July 2024

After publishing Hillbilly Elegy, Vance was widely seen as a tribune of the working class. —Eric Cortellessa, TIME, 15 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Latin tribunus, from tribus tribe

Noun (2)

French, from Italian tribuna, from Latin tribunal

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

circa 1771, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

tribune

noun

tri·​bune

ˈtrib-ˌyün,

trib-ˈyün

1

: a Roman official who protected plebeian citizens from unjust action by patrician magistrates

2

: a defender of the people especially against injustice

tribuneship

-ˌship

noun