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
Also contaminated are fish, staples of Midwestern fish fries and fish boils, and an important part of the diet of Indigenous tribes, certain immigrant populations and communities of color.
—Michael Hawthorne, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2026
And now, 50 years later, Pai is a father and grandfather, the patriarch of a family with three generations involved in the business and a surfing tribe —19 family members strong — with deep roots in and out of the water in Surf City.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 21 June 2026
The tribe is asking for an injunction that would stop construction of the border wall on their land.
—Geraldo L. Cadava, The Atlantic, 20 June 2026
The history of Wilton Rancheria Wilton Rancheria has more than 1,600 citizens of mostly Miwok and Nisenan heritage, tribes Indigenous to the Sacramento region.
—Emma Hall, Sacbee.com, 20 June 2026
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Michael Hawthorne, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2026
And now, 50 years later, Pai is a father and grandfather, the patriarch of a family with three generations involved in the business and a surfing tribe —19 family members strong — with deep roots in and out of the water in Surf City.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 21 June 2026
The tribe is asking for an injunction that would stop construction of the border wall on their land.
—Geraldo L. Cadava, The Atlantic, 20 June 2026
The history of Wilton Rancheria Wilton Rancheria has more than 1,600 citizens of mostly Miwok and Nisenan heritage, tribes Indigenous to the Sacramento region.
—Emma Hall, Sacbee.com, 20 June 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 24 Jun. 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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