tribe

noun

ˈtrīb 

plural tribes

1

a

: a social group composed chiefly of numerous families, clans, or generations having a shared ancestry and language

b

: a political division of the Roman people originally representing one of the three original tribes of ancient Rome

c

: phyle

2

: a group of persons having a common character, occupation, or interest

3

: a category of taxonomic classification ranking below a subfamily

also : a natural group irrespective of taxonomic rank

the cat tribe

the rose tribe

Synonyms

• blood
• clan
• family
• folks
• house
• kin
• kindred
• kinfolk
• kinfolks
• kinsfolk
• line
• lineage
• people
• race
• stock

Examples of tribe in a Sentence

a tribe of artists with wild hair and casual manners

the wedding joined the two tribes together

Recent Examples on the Web

In Nevada, Leo provided an incorrect contact number for a Native American tribe, creating an unnecessary barrier to access. —Diana Spehar, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024

The original visitors to the region were the Indigenous Ute and Arapaho tribes. —James Dziezynski, Outside Online, 10 Nov. 2024

The settlement agreement calls for the company to pay $1.2 billion to state and local governments and $36 million to Native American tribes for abatement programs, in addition to roughly $177 million for attorneys’ fees and court costs. —Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024

More:How to watch 'A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving' for free in 2024 Who are Michigan's Native American tribes? —Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 5 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin tribus, a division of the Roman people, tribe

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing tribe

• sub-tribe

Kids Definition

tribe

noun

ˈtrīb 

1

: a social group made up of many families, clans, or generations that share the same language, customs, and beliefs

2

: a group of persons with a common character, occupation, or interest

3

: a group of related plants or animals

Medical Definition

tribe

noun

ˈtrīb 

: a category of taxonomic classification sometimes equivalent to or ranking just below a suborder but more commonly ranking below a subfamily