tribune

1 of 2

noun (1)

tri·​bune ˈtri-ˌbyün  tri-ˈbyün 

1

: a Roman official under the monarchy and the republic with the function of protecting the plebeian citizen from arbitrary action by the patrician magistrates

2

: an unofficial defender of the rights of the individual

tribuneship

ˈtri-ˌbyün-ˌship 

tri-ˈbyün-

noun

tribune

2 of 2

noun (2)

: a dais or platform from which an assembly is addressed

Synonyms

Noun (2)

• podium
• pulpit
• platform

Examples of tribune in a Sentence

Noun (2)

addressed the vast crowd from the tribune

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Why, look about you: the tribune, the press, intelligence, speech, thought, all that was liberty, has vanished. —Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 13 June 2025

Trump and comparable tribunes of national greatness are now setting the global agenda. —Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025

Trump may have proved to be a uniquely popular tribune for this constituency. —Arthur C. Brooks, Foreign Affairs, 13 Feb. 2017

My question to you on this front is, Donald Trump seems like an unlikely tribune for populism, given his wealth, given his flouting of various kinds of conventions for his own benefit, rather than that of the masses. —Foreign Affairs, 29 Dec. 2016

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Latin tribunus, from tribus tribe

Noun (2)

French, from Italian tribuna, from Latin tribunal

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

circa 1771, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

tribune

noun

tri·​bune

ˈtrib-ˌyün,

trib-ˈyün

1

: a Roman official who protected plebeian citizens from unjust action by patrician magistrates

2

: a defender of the people especially against injustice

tribuneship

-ˌship

noun