tribunal

noun

tri·​bu·​nal trī-ˈbyü-nᵊl 

tri-

1

: a court or forum of justice

2

: something that decides or determines

the tribunal of public opinion

3

: tribune entry 2

Synonyms of tribunal

• court
• bench
• judiciary

Examples of tribunal in a Sentence

An international tribunal was formed to deal with war crimes.

was tried before a military tribunal and found not guilty of the charges

Recent Examples on the Web

That September, Guzmán and his companion, Elena Iparraguirre, were captured in Lima; a secret military tribunal sentenced them to life in prison, but the fighting went on. —Paul Elie, New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2026

An international arbitral tribunal ruled in 2016 that Beijing's sweeping claims had no basis under international law, a decision China rejects. —Reuters, NBC news, 13 Dec. 2025

The tribunal, which took place in Nuremberg, Germany, and resulted in 19 convictions, attracted worldwide media attention. —B.b. Blaber, The Conversation, 8 Dec. 2025

Christine's father was held at a place called Sand Island, while Otto was hauled before a secret military tribunal. —David Martin, CBS News, 7 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin, platform for magistrates, from tribunus tribune

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Rhymes for tribunal

• communal
• jejunal
• lagoonal
• monsoonal
• intercommunal

Kids Definition

tribunal

noun

tri·​bu·​nal trī-ˈbyün-ᵊl 

trib-ˈyün-

1

: the seat of a judge

2

: a court of justice

3

: something that decides or determines

the tribunal of public opinion

Legal Definition

tribunal

noun

tri·​bu·​nal trī-ˈbyün-ᵊl, tri- 

1

: the seat of a judge or one acting as a judge

2

: a court or forum of justice : a person or body of persons having to hear and decide disputes so as to bind the parties

Etymology

Latin, platform for magistrates, from tribunus tribune, from tribus tribe