tribe

noun

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

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
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.
More than 1,000 people, many civilians, have been killed in clashes between some Sunni Bedouin tribes, Syrian government forces and factions of the Druze. Emily Feng, NPR, 31 July 2025 Spanning both Dakotas, the 2.3 million-acre reservation is home to more than 8,000 people; the tribe's total tribal enrollment exceeds 16,000. Maggie McGrath, Forbes.com, 30 July 2025 That means encouraging visitors to try outdoor activities offered by the tribes or individual tribal business owners, such as kayaking, hiking or camping. Frank Vaisvilas, jsonline.com, 30 July 2025 The Miccosukee and Seminole tribes for whom the Everglades is home are being denied access to their own land, their ecosystem threatened with destruction. Donna Nevel, Sun Sentinel, 30 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for tribe

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of tribe was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tribe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tribe. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

tribe

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

More from Merriam-Webster on tribe

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