Definition of tribalnext
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

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.
Recent Examples of tribal Yet rather than being consigned to history, many football fans still see Savile as a bogeyman to be weaponised in the name of tribal point-scoring. Simon Hughes, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026 The Minnesota Senate passed $40 million in one-time rental assistance for counties and tribal governments on a 35-32 vote Wednesday. Mary Murphy, Twin Cities, 11 Mar. 2026 If confirmed, Mullin, who is a member of the Cherokee Nation, will be the first tribal member to hold the position. Frank Vaisvilas, jsonline.com, 11 Mar. 2026 Other international traditions, including tribal African art, Mesoamerican pyramid temples, and the pediments of ancient Greek temple design also influenced the look of Art Deco. Katherine McLaughlin, Architectural Digest, 10 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tribal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tribal
Adjective
  • The military government has lost large swaths of the country to pro-democracy People's Defense Forces and ethnic armed groups.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 14 Mar. 2026
  • For decades, New York mayors made a point to visit what were called the Three I’s—Ireland, Italy, and Israel—with a nod to three of the city’s dominant ethnic groups.
    Michael Powell, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • With all the action packed into a 24-hour period, the film explores religion, sexuality, death, racial oppression, the origins of the blues and the interplay of white, Native American and Black culture in American music and identity.
    Martha Ross, Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2026
  • From unspoken racial dynamics, like Sid rejecting Tia in favor of her white friends, to the economic worries that become entwined with her self-image, Sid’s precarious new social position rests on a knife’s edge.
    Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Genocide is defined as attempting to partly or wholly destroy a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.
    Ellie Cook Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
  • 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.
    Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2022

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Cite this Entry

“Tribal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tribal. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.

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