tribe

noun

plural tribes
1
a
: a social group composed chiefly of numerous families, clans, or generations having a shared ancestry and language
b
: a political division of the Roman people originally representing one of the three original tribes of ancient Rome
c
: phyle
2
: a group of persons having a common character, occupation, or interest
3
: a category of taxonomic classification ranking below a subfamily
also : a natural group irrespective of taxonomic rank
the cat tribe
the rose tribe

Examples of tribe in a Sentence

a tribe of artists with wild hair and casual manners the wedding joined the two tribes together
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.
The tribe is just one of nine that banned the GOP governor last year over her criticism. Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 17 Jan. 2025 The administration entered 400 co-stewardship agreements for federal lands and wildlife with tribes, Alaska Native corporations and other communities. Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025 Critics, including Democrats and Native American tribes in her state, as well as some senators, have argued that as governor of South Dakota, a state far from the U.S. southern border with only 5% of the workforce of DHS, Noem lacks the right experience to run DHS. Julia Ainsley, NBC News, 16 Jan. 2025 The tribe's Department of Health and Human Services runs door-to-door campaigns a few times yearly to reduce the tick population. Brittney Melton, NPR, 16 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for tribe 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin tribus, a division of the Roman people, tribe

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of tribe was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near tribe

Cite this Entry

“Tribe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tribe. Accessed 24 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

tribe

noun
1
: a social group made up of many families, clans, or generations that share the same language, customs, and beliefs
2
: a group of persons with a common character, occupation, or interest
3
: a group of related plants or animals

Medical Definition

tribe

noun
: a category of taxonomic classification sometimes equivalent to or ranking just below a suborder but more commonly ranking below a subfamily

More from Merriam-Webster on tribe

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