detribalize

American

[dee-trahy-buh-lahyz] / diˈtraɪ bəˌlaɪz /

especially British, detribalise

verb (used with object)

detribalized, detribalizing

to cause to lose tribal allegiances and customs, chiefly through contact with another culture.

detribalize British

/ diːˈtraɪbəˌlaɪz /

verb

to cause members of a tribe to lose their characteristic customs or social, religious, or other organizational features
to cause tribal people to adopt urban ways of life

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

detribalization

noun

Etymology

Origin of detribalize

First recorded in 1915–20; de- + tribal + -ize

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.

See Examples For:

detribalized detribalizing

Tutu, who rejects government categories and calls himself "detribalized," says he faces a "rough passage" in pleading with young black audiences for interracial concord and peaceful change.

From Time Magazine Archive

Last week Castello Branco took a hopeful step toward detribalizing Brazil's politics by signing into law a new electoral code and a tough party reform.

From Time Magazine Archive

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023