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
The nation consists of more than a dozen tribes in California and Mexico’s Baja California.
—Julie Watson, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2026
Until then, there’s nothing the tribes can do to access the money, the official added.
—Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 17 May 2026
The 41-year-old is a part of the Leech Lake and Mille Lacs tribes.
—Frankie McLister, CBS News, 17 May 2026
Teaming up with Lucian to find the cure, Jim goes on an adventure through the city that brings him up close with all the tribes Jim would usually shun, from submissives in pup masks to shady but protective drag queens to the bears — amusingly depicted here as literal bears.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for tribe
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.
Julie Watson, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2026
Until then, there’s nothing the tribes can do to access the money, the official added.
—Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 17 May 2026
The 41-year-old is a part of the Leech Lake and Mille Lacs tribes.
—Frankie McLister, CBS News, 17 May 2026
Teaming up with Lucian to find the cure, Jim goes on an adventure through the city that brings him up close with all the tribes Jim would usually shun, from submissives in pup masks to shady but protective drag queens to the bears — amusingly depicted here as literal bears.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 15 May 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 21 May. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
