tribe

noun

plural tribes
1
a
: a social group composed chiefly of numerous families, clans, or generations having a shared ancestry and language
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
3
: 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
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.
Now, the Ngai Tahu Research Centre at the South Island’s University of Canterbury will lead research to de-extinct the giant moa on behalf of the South Island Maori iwi (tribe) of the same name, working with technologies and support from Colossal, in which Jackson is an investor. David Bloom, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025 The research center — which will take the lead in directing the moa efforts — was established in 2011 to support the Ngāi Tahu, the principal iwi (Māori tribe) of the southern region of New Zealand. Degen Pener, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2025 The Ngāi Tahu are the principal Māori tribe of the southern region of New Zealand — home to the South Island giant moa, the largest of the nine moa species Colossal plans to restore over the next five to 10 years. Andrea Marks, Rolling Stone, 8 July 2025 With the help of Menominee Tribal Historic Preservation Officer David Grignon and the late archaeologist David Overstreet, the tribe was able to convince Western authorities to place the site on the National Register of Historic Places in 2023. Frank Vaisvilas, jsonline.com, 8 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for tribe

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin tribus, a division of the Roman people, tribe

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of tribe was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tribe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tribe. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

tribe

noun
1
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on tribe

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