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
Indigenous tribes have long used fire to care for the land through cultural burnings, but in the 1800s, that practice was banned by restrictive and discriminatory laws in places like California.
—Sarah Henry, AZCentral.com, 9 Nov. 2025
Named after an Indigenous term for tattoo, the minimalist diamond and 18-karat-gold jewels take inspiration from the rich tradition of tattoo art practiced by the Baiga tribe in central India’s Madhya Pradesh state.
—Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 9 Nov. 2025
In the months before Aruká Juma died earlier this year from COVID-19, the last remaining male of the elusive warrior people who live in Brazil’s Amazon was passing on the tribe’s traditions to one of his daughters, who was anointed chief a few years ago.
—Adriana Brasileiro, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
An effort to legalize online sports betting operated by tribes in Wisconsin is being challenged by the Sports Betting Alliance, which represents national companies such as Draft Kings, FanDuel and Bet 365.
—Frank Vaisvilas, jsonline.com, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tribe
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Sarah Henry, AZCentral.com, 9 Nov. 2025
Named after an Indigenous term for tattoo, the minimalist diamond and 18-karat-gold jewels take inspiration from the rich tradition of tattoo art practiced by the Baiga tribe in central India’s Madhya Pradesh state.
—Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 9 Nov. 2025
In the months before Aruká Juma died earlier this year from COVID-19, the last remaining male of the elusive warrior people who live in Brazil’s Amazon was passing on the tribe’s traditions to one of his daughters, who was anointed chief a few years ago.
—Adriana Brasileiro, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
An effort to legalize online sports betting operated by tribes in Wisconsin is being challenged by the Sports Betting Alliance, which represents national companies such as Draft Kings, FanDuel and Bet 365.
—Frank Vaisvilas, jsonline.com, 7 Nov. 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 12 Nov. 2025.
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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