tribe

noun

ˈtrīb 

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

Synonyms

• family
• clan
• house
• folks

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

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

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

Phrases Containing tribe

• sub-tribe

Rhymes for tribe

• bribe
• gibe
• jibe
• vibe
• ascribe
• describe
• imbibe
• inscribe
• prescribe
• proscribe
• subscribe
• transcribe

Kids Definition

tribe

noun

ˈtrīb 

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

ˈtrīb 

: a category of taxonomic classification sometimes equivalent to or ranking just below a suborder but more commonly ranking below a subfamily