Definition of tribalnext
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

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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 State, local and tribal governments as well as nonprofit entities can receive funding. Lisa Hagen, Hartford Courant, 13 Feb. 2026 Heitkamp, who until recently directed the University of Chicago's Institute of Politics, says many lawmakers today see even less incentive to compromise as politics becomes more tribal. Sam Gringlas, NPR, 13 Feb. 2026 Voters amended the state constitution in 2020 to legalize sports betting only in Deadwood and tribal casinos in South Dakota. Makenzie Huber, States Newsroom, 12 Feb. 2026 Voters in Maine approved iGaming for a tribal group, but it has not been implemented. Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 11 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tribal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tribal
Adjective
  • Ernesto Sagas is a professor of ethnic studies at Colorado State.
    Ediberto Roman, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Feb. 2026
  • Yet Maybank executives note that non-Muslims are interested in Islamic finance, with then-Maybank Islamic CEO Dato’ Muzaffar Hisham telling Fortune in 2024 that more than half of the bank’s Islamic banking customers in Malaysia were ethnic Chinese.
    Angelica Ang, Fortune, 14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Gartside seemed aware of a certain potential for racial condescension in his worship of Franklin and unsure of how to resolve it, struggling to offer an explanation that satisfied him of her role in the cosmology of Cupid and Psyche 85.
    Andy Cush, Pitchfork, 15 Feb. 2026
  • Kendrick Lamar’s 2025 Super Bowl halftime show used a variety of costumes and props as metaphors for America's ongoing racial and political divisions.
    Jamie L. LaReau, USA Today, 15 Feb. 2026
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

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Cite this Entry

“Tribal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tribal. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.

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