as in ethnic
of, relating to, or reflecting the traits exhibited by a group of people with a common ancestry and culture a tribal solidarity that transcends all other loyalties or bonds

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tribal Minority languages were banned in schools, tribal leaders were silenced, and communities were pressured to abandon their heritage and conform to a rigid Persian identity. Jila Andalib, Hartford Courant, 28 July 2025 The sport carries deep historical and cultural significance for tribal communities. Candace Oehler, Forbes.com, 27 July 2025 Native Public Media, a network of 57 radio stations and four TV stations, is a key source of news and information for tribal communities across the nation and relies on CPB support. Josh Shepperd, The Conversation, 17 July 2025 One evening in the spring of 1966, following the death of a tribal chief, a group of around twenty Kofan men and boys gathered in the ceremonial house to perform an ayahuasca ceremony. Literary Hub, 16 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for tribal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tribal
Adjective
  • And their two tribal police detectives are ethnic mixes rather than Indigenous people.
    Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2025
  • Districts must be equal in population — within tight tolerances — but also must not disenfranchise protected ethnic groups, according to federal law.
    Dan Walters, Oc Register, 12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • In a video obtained by Fox News Digital, an unidentified man can be heard yelling racial slurs while being beaten in the street, with some claiming the male victim slapped the perpetrator prior to the fight breaking out.
    Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2025
  • Public meetings have in recent years featured shouting matches, handcuffs, threats of censure, the middle finger and at least one racial slur.
    Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Defined by the United Nations as acts committed with intent to destroy a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, its use by a sitting member of Congress—particularly a Republican—marks a rare challenge to the dominant U.S. narrative on the war in Gaza.
    Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 July 2025
  • The United Nations broadly defines genocide as seriously harming or killing members of a group with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.
    Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2022

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Cite this Entry

“Tribal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tribal. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.

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