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
That failure leaves the federal government to potentially impose its own rules, which could invite lawsuits states, tribes and water users.
—Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 28 Feb. 2026
The tribe's protest drew thousands of supporters, who camped in the area for months while trying to block construction.
—CBS News, 27 Feb. 2026
The ruling came in a decades-long legal effort by the states of Oregon and Washington, Native American tribes and conservation and fishing groups to ensure better protections for migrating salmon, which are killed in large numbers by the massive dams.
—ABC News, 26 Feb. 2026
Her journey ended two days later when, due to what was perceived as having a negative attitude, Michelle was unanimously voted out by the Fang tribe.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tribe
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Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 28 Feb. 2026
The tribe's protest drew thousands of supporters, who camped in the area for months while trying to block construction.
—CBS News, 27 Feb. 2026
The ruling came in a decades-long legal effort by the states of Oregon and Washington, Native American tribes and conservation and fishing groups to ensure better protections for migrating salmon, which are killed in large numbers by the massive dams.
—ABC News, 26 Feb. 2026
Her journey ended two days later when, due to what was perceived as having a negative attitude, Michelle was unanimously voted out by the Fang tribe.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Feb. 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 2 Mar. 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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