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

The last person standing from each team would win individual immunity, and the last person standing overall would win peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the tribe, and more importantly, the second slot at tribal council. —Emily Deletter, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2025

Two complaints were filed by conservative legal advocacy groups on behalf of small businesses, and the third by members of the Blackfeet Nation tribe in Montana. —Bloomberg, Mercury News, 18 Apr. 2025

If Roman, his brothers Jimmy and Solo, the Wiseman Paul Heyman, or even Sami Zayn were in trouble, Jey was always down to ride for his tribe. —Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 16 Apr. 2025

In early human tribes, those who projected strength and confidence were more likely to lead hunting parties, defend against threats, or enforce group cohesion. —Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 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