plural tribes
1
a
: a community composed chiefly of numerous families, clans, or generations who have a shared ancestry, culture, and language
nomadic desert tribes
coastal tribes of North America
—often used in the capitalized names of specific tribesmembers of the Hopi Tribe
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
… key pieces of advice: find your tribe online, post that unfiltered selfie …—
Chloe Hall
Chloe Hall… my tribe of mom friends …—Jo Piazza
Jo Piazza3
: 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
Early cultures, including Native American tribes, looked to the heavens for time keeping, spiritual beliefs and navigation.
—Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
The falls are named after the Shoshone (or Shoshoni), a Native American tribe who lived in the area and fished on the Snake River.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 26 Apr. 2026
Specific tribes include the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, the Mi’kmaq Nation, the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Motahkokmikuk, the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Sipayik and the Penobscot Indian Nation, according to the park.
—Eve Chen, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2026
Chief Mighty Maroon was used from 1982 to 2002, but school officials retired him after deeming it offensive and lacking a connection to an actual Native American tribe.
—Mike Danahey, Chicago Tribune, 25 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tribe
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Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
The falls are named after the Shoshone (or Shoshoni), a Native American tribe who lived in the area and fished on the Snake River.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 26 Apr. 2026
Specific tribes include the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, the Mi’kmaq Nation, the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Motahkokmikuk, the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Sipayik and the Penobscot Indian Nation, according to the park.
—Eve Chen, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2026
Chief Mighty Maroon was used from 1982 to 2002, but school officials retired him after deeming it offensive and lacking a connection to an actual Native American tribe.
—Mike Danahey, Chicago Tribune, 25 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tribe
Cite this Entry
“Tribe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tribe. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tribe
noun1
: 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
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