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 Under the influence of Christianity and Islam, which forbids alcohol, brewing culture among the Bisaya tribe came close to disappearing in the 1980s, said Peter Sawal, a tribal elder. Rebecca Tan, Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2024 This year, the tribe plans to have five new solar projects active by May. Frank Vaisvilas, Journal Sentinel, 22 Mar. 2024 The agreement, known as a compact, gave the tribe control over sports betting in Florida and allowed its casinos to offer roulette and craps. Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 22 Mar. 2024 Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland said the Interior and the BIA awarded 146 programs to 102 tribes out of 166 applications. The Arizona Republic, 21 Mar. 2024 The Gaza government said Mabhouh was in charge of protecting aid distribution in the north and coordinating between aid groups and local tribes. Wafaa Shurafa, Samy Magdy and Tia Goldenberg, Quartz, 19 Mar. 2024 Bad Bear, a member of the Crow tribe, got in foul trouble in the first half and managed just 11 points and six rebounds. Joseph D’hippolito, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Mar. 2024 Wild rice was once found in abundance along the shores of Lake Michigan and the state's indigenous tribes are working to conserve and maintain what is left of Michigan's wild rice fields. Detroit Free Press, 14 Mar. 2024 The sovereign tribe operates seven casinos across Florida and owns the Hard Rock Hotel & Casinos business, with locations in 76 countries. Mike Schneider, Fortune, 11 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tribe.' 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

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 28 Mar. 2024.

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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