tribunal

noun

tri·​bu·​nal trī-ˈbyü-nᵊl 

tri-

1

: a court or forum of justice

2

: something that decides or determines

the tribunal of public opinion

3

: tribune entry 2

Synonyms

• bar
• bench
• court
• forum

Examples of tribunal in a Sentence

An international tribunal was formed to deal with war crimes.

was tried before a military tribunal and found not guilty of the charges

Recent Examples on the Web

Either approach could spark legal disputes before an international tribunal. —Daniel Ackerman, NPR, 27 Mar. 2025

The creation of the ICPA was also the first step towards establishing an ad-hoc tribunal for the crime of aggression. —Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025

Senator Bill Cassidy, Republican of Louisiana, used the words of a judge at the Nuremberg Trials in 1946, in which an international military tribunal prosecuted Nazi officials after World War II, to express his disapproval of the Trump administration’s U.N. votes. —Karoun Demirjian, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2025

The first envisions a tribunal focused specifically on the crime of aggression—the deliberate decision to launch an unjust war. —Gyunduz Mamedov, TIME, 24 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin, platform for magistrates, from tribunus tribune

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Rhymes for tribunal

• communal
• jejunal
• lagoonal
• monsoonal
• intercommunal

Kids Definition

tribunal

noun

tri·​bu·​nal trī-ˈbyün-ᵊl 

trib-ˈyün-

1

: the seat of a judge

2

: a court of justice

3

: something that decides or determines

the tribunal of public opinion

Legal Definition

tribunal

noun

tri·​bu·​nal trī-ˈbyün-ᵊl, tri- 

1

: the seat of a judge or one acting as a judge

2

: a court or forum of justice : a person or body of persons having to hear and decide disputes so as to bind the parties

Etymology

Latin, platform for magistrates, from tribunus tribune, from tribus tribe