as in ethnic
of, relating to, or reflecting the traits exhibited by a group of people with a common ancestry and culture
a tribal solidarity that transcends all other loyalties or bonds
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tribal
The latest bout of internal military struggle, which started in 2023, fracturing along every possible fault line—religious, ethnic, political, tribal, and international—has created what the United Nations is calling the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
—
Janine Di Giovanni,
Vanity Fair,
25 June 2026
People sang and played drums as flags flew from various tribal nations.
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ABC News,
25 June 2026
Clothing is very good at signaling patterns of human distinction, such as gender, status, and tribal affiliation, and has done so since humans first walked the earth.
—
Literary Hub,
25 June 2026
As a national monument established only in 1996, Grand Staircase-Escalante enjoys fewer protections than its national park neighbors, despite the fact that at least a dozen tribal nations have deep connections to the region.
—
Nicole Phelps,
Vogue,
25 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for tribal
Janine Di Giovanni,
Vanity Fair,
25 June 2026
People sang and played drums as flags flew from various tribal nations.
—
ABC News,
25 June 2026
Clothing is very good at signaling patterns of human distinction, such as gender, status, and tribal affiliation, and has done so since humans first walked the earth.
—
Literary Hub,
25 June 2026
As a national monument established only in 1996, Grand Staircase-Escalante enjoys fewer protections than its national park neighbors, despite the fact that at least a dozen tribal nations have deep connections to the region.
—
Nicole Phelps,
Vogue,
25 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for tribal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tribal
Adjective
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That federal expansion provided up to $3,600 per child under age 6 and $3,000 for children ages 6 through 17, and researchers linked it to a sharp drop in child poverty and reduced hardship across racial and ethnic groups.
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Mikhail An, known as Misha, was a Soviet international of Korean ethnic origin.
Adjective
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Why did the court look at that and say, this is not racial animus?
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In last year’s Season 7, two contestants, Yulissa Escobar and Cierra Ortega, were also caught using racial slurs and had to exit the Villa.
Adjective
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Genocide is defined as attempting to partly or wholly destroy a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.
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The United Nations broadly defines genocide as seriously harming or killing members of a group with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.
Cite this Entry
“Tribal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tribal. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
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