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

While many of the crimes perpetrated by Putin and his troops are already being investigated and prosecuted, whether by domestic or international tribunals, the crime of aggression is yet to be addressed with comprehensive responses. —Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes.com, 11 May 2025

Dozens of foreign delegations were in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv on Friday to endorse the ceasefire proposal and the establishment of a special tribunal to investigate crimes of aggression against Ukraine. —Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 9 May 2025

The move to create a special tribunal aims to fill a void created by limitations on the International Criminal Court. —Molly Quell, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2025

After the war, the Nazis were held accountable for civilian starvation actions at the Nuremberg tribunals, although such measures were subsumed under meta-crimes such as extermination. —Boyd Van Dijk, Foreign Affairs, 30 Apr. 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