Thesaurus results for TRIBAL

tribal

adjective

ˈtrī-bəl

Definition of tribal

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 sets the rules for when tribes can offer gaming on tribal lands. — Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 July 2026 On the Bears Ears side, the concept for Bears Ears National Monument really came forward from several tribal nations who were a part of what’s called the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition. — Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 16 July 2026 The Hellstar x Adidas Megaride S2 features the springy pod cushioning from the 2000s and the neo-tribal flame style also popular in the same era. — Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 15 July 2026 Nearby Bears Ears, an area of cultural significance to tribal nations, was designated as a monument by President Barack Obama in 2016. — Story Hinckley, Christian Science Monitor, 15 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for tribal

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tribal

Adjective

Unfortunately, during the early to mid-twentieth century, negative perceptions of immigrant and ethnic laborers led many outsiders to view their neighborhoods as unsafe, unclean, and detrimental to the social fabric of American cities.

— Michelle Oliva-Espinosa, Kansas City Star, 18 July 2026
That meant our high school reflected an ethnic and economic diversity that was quite rare for a Midwestern city in the 1970s.

— Laurent Belsie, Christian Science Monitor, 18 July 2026

Definition of ethnic

Adjective

On Thursday morning, a man broke into the Today studio in Rockefeller Plaza and yelled racial slurs at host Craig Melvin.

— Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 17 July 2026
Barber advocated repentance for political inaction on issues such as poverty and racial discrimination and urged intersectional activism to defend democratic values.

— Sofia Williams, Sacbee.com, 16 July 2026

Definition of racial

Adjective

Genocide is defined as attempting to partly or wholly destroy a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.

— Ellie Cook Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 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

Definition of ethnical

Browse Nearby Words

triathlons

tribal

tribe

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Tribal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tribal. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of tribal

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on tribal

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

maverick

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes