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 tribe, along with CRIT, has contributed water to bolster levels in Lake Mead to prevent further cuts in Arizona's water allocation.
—Debra Utacia Krol, AZCentral.com, 14 Dec. 2025
James said Colossal already had a relationship with the Nez Perce through the company’s Indigenous Council when the foundation heard about the tribe’s condor reintroduction plan from Eric Kash Kash, who directs the tribe’s Wildlife Division.
—Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 12 Dec. 2025
The skull was taken from a site dating to the Basketmaker culture, which Boomgarden told Cowboy State Daily does not reference a particular tribe, but a time period of a pre-Ancestral Puebloan culture that lived across southern Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona.
—Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 11 Dec. 2025
The small tribes force people to form tight bonds, which make for un-shatterable alliances.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 11 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tribe
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Debra Utacia Krol, AZCentral.com, 14 Dec. 2025
James said Colossal already had a relationship with the Nez Perce through the company’s Indigenous Council when the foundation heard about the tribe’s condor reintroduction plan from Eric Kash Kash, who directs the tribe’s Wildlife Division.
—Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 12 Dec. 2025
The skull was taken from a site dating to the Basketmaker culture, which Boomgarden told Cowboy State Daily does not reference a particular tribe, but a time period of a pre-Ancestral Puebloan culture that lived across southern Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona.
—Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 11 Dec. 2025
The small tribes force people to form tight bonds, which make for un-shatterable alliances.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 11 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 17 Dec. 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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