1
: of, relating to, or characteristic of a tribe: as
a
: of, relating to, or characteristic of a community of people having shared ancestry, culture, and language
tribal members/leaders
a tribal council
protecting tribal lands
… the strained relations between Maine state government and tribal nations …—
Kevin Miller
Kevin MillerThese are sacred tribal markings, and are assigned through chiefly lineage and placement in a tribe, village or community.—Lagipoiva Cherelle Jackson
Lagipoiva Cherelle Jackson
b
: of, relating to, or characteristic of a group of people having a common character, occupation, or interest
"Is this your first Comic-Con?," I was repeatedly asked upon arriving in San Diego for this year's tribal gathering.—James Wolcott
James Wolcott2
: characterized by tribalism : having or showing strong in-group loyalty and often a negative view of outsiders
We are inherently tribal creatures anyway; but particularly when we're scared, we regress further into tribalism and tend to trust the information relayed to us by our tribe and not by others.—Arash Javanbakht
Arash Javanbakht
: a member of an aboriginal people of India
—usually used in plural
Examples of tribal in a Sentence
Adjective
a tribal solidarity that transcends all other loyalties or bonds
Recent Examples on the Web
Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 18 Dec. 2025
The federal government, as well as state, local or tribal governments, could also contribute and aren’t subject to the cap.
—Ben Steverman, Fortune, 17 Dec. 2025
Brian Moylan, Vulture, 11 Dec. 2025
Arguing that relocation can stem the loss of biodiversity, the government has classified some islands used by Nicobarese tribals as wildlife sanctuaries.
—M. Rajshekhar, Time, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tribal
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.
Adjective
During final tribal council, Louie doubled down on her gameplay when jury member Kristina Mills asked her to name a family member for each of the jury members.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 18 Dec. 2025
The federal government, as well as state, local or tribal governments, could also contribute and aren’t subject to the cap.
—Ben Steverman, Fortune, 17 Dec. 2025
Noun
This was almost as crazy as when Kristina says at tribal that Savannah should have taken her on the reward to build trust and make a number who would vote with Savannah.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 11 Dec. 2025
Arguing that relocation can stem the loss of biodiversity, the government has classified some islands used by Nicobarese tribals as wildlife sanctuaries.
—M. Rajshekhar, Time, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tribal
Cite this Entry
“Tribal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tribal. Accessed 21 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share