tribal
Americanadjective
-
of, relating to, or characteristic of a tribe.
tribal customs in Indonesia.
-
designating, characterized by, or relating to a strong sense of loyalty to one’s own tribe, party, or group.
Tribal politics can be divisive and counterproductive.
noun
adjective
-
of or denoting a tribe or tribes
tribal chiefs in northern Yemen
-
displaying loyalty to a tribe, group, or tribal values
the tribal loyalties of Labour MPs
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of tribal
Explanation
Tribal things have something to do with a group or tribe, like Native Americans' tribal land, where certain tribes lived for thousands of years. You might have heard the term "tribal sovereignty" before — it's basically the legal right of indigenous or native people to govern themselves under certain conditions. In the United States, for example, tribal groups are recognized as "domestic dependent nations." Sometimes the adjective tribal is slightly derogatory, but only when it's used to mean "overly loyal to a group."
Vocabulary lists containing tribal
"Black Panther" Lingo
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -al, -ial
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
TKAM excerpt
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The victims ranged from babies just three or four months old to an 18-year-old, and most were Baiga, one of India's 75 "particularly vulnerable tribal groups", external.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
Using tribal power and rigorous detective work, a family of an army officer in Yemen tries to find out how he was abducted in broad daylight, and what happened to him afterward.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026
Dozens of lawsuits, which include complaints by tribal nations’ governments, are moving through state and federal courts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
Closer to Lake Powell, the Drought Severity Evaluation Tool, co-developed with the Navajo Nation, allows leaders to track localized drought indicators, precipitation patterns, and vegetation health across tribal lands.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 23, 2026
The woman who came out had slender tribal marks on her face, two lines on each cheek.
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
