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 project has been widely criticized by community activists, environmental groups and one of the region’s tribes.
—Emma Hall, Sacbee.com, 26 Dec. 2025
The film follows Naru (Amber Midthunder), a Comanche warrior with the heart of a hunter, who seeks to prove her skills and protect her tribe by catching a predator.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Dec. 2025
This warning comes after more than two years of re-negotiation of a 100-year-old water use pact that sets aside water for use by Western States, native tribes, and even Mexico, missed a November deadline for cutting a deal.
—Alan Gionet, CBS News, 22 Dec. 2025
The incident drew protests in Rapid City and condemnation from the mayor as well as tribes in the state.
—Sarah Raza, Fortune, 21 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tribe
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Emma Hall, Sacbee.com, 26 Dec. 2025
The film follows Naru (Amber Midthunder), a Comanche warrior with the heart of a hunter, who seeks to prove her skills and protect her tribe by catching a predator.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Dec. 2025
This warning comes after more than two years of re-negotiation of a 100-year-old water use pact that sets aside water for use by Western States, native tribes, and even Mexico, missed a November deadline for cutting a deal.
—Alan Gionet, CBS News, 22 Dec. 2025
The incident drew protests in Rapid City and condemnation from the mayor as well as tribes in the state.
—Sarah Raza, Fortune, 21 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tribe
Cite this Entry
“Tribe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tribe. Accessed 1 Jan. 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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