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

The mountain is considered by the Māori to be among their ancestors, and the tribe will work with government officials to assume its care. —Rachel Raposas, People.com, 1 Feb. 2025

From the perspective of the tribe, the story reads a little bit differently. —Patrick Connolly, Orlando Sentinel, 31 Jan. 2025

Zoom in: The Navajo Nation, one of the nation's largest tribes, said federal immigration agents have been questioning its members. —Erin Alberty, Axios, 29 Jan. 2025

Central France has been occupied off and on for thousands of years, by aristocratic families to nomadic tribes. —Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 29 Jan. 2025

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