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

• blood
• clan
• family
• folks
• house
• kin
• kindred
• kinfolk
• kinfolks
• kinsfolk
• line
• lineage
• people
• race
• stock

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

Maine Farmer’s Almanac states that the Algonquin tribes, who once lived in what is now the northeastern region of the United States, referred to the full moon in August as the sturgeon moon, named after the large fish caught more readily during this season. —Riane Lumer, CNN, 19 Aug. 2024

The drummer who did the best job filling Chamberlin’s big shoes, however, may be Motley Crue’s Tommy Lee, who would’ve been an unthinkable choice back in the ‘90s when hair metal and alternative rock felt like warring tribes. —Al Shipley, SPIN, 17 Aug. 2024

In 1971, the Philippines shocked the world when a primitive stone-age tribe — the Tasaday — was found in the rainforests of Mindanao. —Leo Barraclough, Variety, 13 Aug. 2024

Tribalism has helped humans survive as a species by fostering the unity necessary to fend off an invading tribe, predators or natural disasters. —Arash Javanbakht, The Conversation, 9 Aug. 2024

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

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