tribe
any group of people, typically a subdivision of a nation or an ethnic group, that is united by ties of descent from a common ancestor, shared customs and traditions, recognition of the same leader or leaders, etc.; a group of related clans: The twelve tribes of Israel were descended from the twelve sons of Jacob.
Sometimes Offensive. a group of Indigenous people sharing the same ethnicity, language, territory, customs, history, etc.: now often referred to as a nation. : See Usage note at the current entry.
a division of any of the premodern peoples of Europe or Asia: After the Romans left the Low Countries in the 5th century, Frankish tribes dominated.In 1206 Genghis Khan united all the Mongol tribes to form the great Mongol nation.
a company, group, or number of people: Every afternoon a noisy tribe of children—friends of my brother and me—would gather in our yard.
a group or class of people with strong common traits, values, or interests: We in the tribe of journalists tend to be cynical about such conferences—they’re mainly about platitudes and photo ops.
a large family: Don't invite your brother and his tribe to sleep over—I don't know where we'd put all those kids!
a category or type of living things or inanimate objects: Next to the robin, the sparrow is the boldest of our feathered tribe.Over there is a tribe of mismatched stuffed chairs.
Biology.
a category in the classification of organisms usually between a subfamily and a genus or sometimes between a suborder and a family.
any group of closely related plants or animals.
Animal Husbandry. a group of animals, especially cattle, descended through the female line from a common female ancestor.
Roman History.
any one of three divisions of the people representing the Latin, Sabine, and Etruscan settlements.
any of the later political divisions of the people.
Greek History. a phyle.
Origin of tribe
1usage note For tribe
In some cases, however, the word tribe is still appropriate. For example, where a large Indigenous nation is spread over a wide area, different linguistic or cultural divisions or different geographic communities within that nation might refer to themselves as tribes: Louis Bull Tribe is part of the Cree nation, the largest First Nations group in Canada. This is especially true if the subgroup has its own political leadership and a legal relationship with the government, although in Canada such a local community is more often called a band. In the United States, an Indigenous group that has such a relationship with the federal or state government may be called a tribe regardless of whether it corresponds to a single ethnic group or a division of one, and band can refer to any of various kinds of subgroups. It is best to find out what term is used by the particular group to refer to itself. When speaking more generally of Indigenous groups, the word people ( peoples for multiple groups) is appropriate: the Indigenous peoples of the plains.
Other words from tribe
- sub·tribe, noun
- un·der·tribe, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use tribe in a sentence
Grindr currently has twelve ‘tribes,’ and for some people this just is not enough.
Grindr introduced the feature themselves in October the same year and called it ‘tribes.’
Still, the lack of communication with the tribes does not bode well for the future relationships.
Tribes to U.S. Government: Take Your Weed and Shove It | Abby Haglage | December 13, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThere are other tribes that have expressed interest to us in getting involved.
Tribes to U.S. Government: Take Your Weed and Shove It | Abby Haglage | December 13, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTBut after a troubled history with alcohol, some tribes are wary.
Tribes to U.S. Government: Take Your Weed and Shove It | Abby Haglage | December 13, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
He acknowledged him in his blessings, and gave him an inheritance, and divided him his portion in twelve tribes.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version | VariousNicholson and John Lawrence were there; could they hold those warrior-tribes in subjection, or, better still, in leash?
The Red Year | Louis TracyThe Philippines are shared by many tribes, all belonging to the same brown race.
Alila, Our Little Philippine Cousin | Mary Hazelton WadeSome of the tribes inhabiting the district of the lower Amazon indulge in snuff-taking.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce | E. R. Billings.The remaining four tribes appear already to be united in firm friendship and intimacy with them.
British Dictionary definitions for tribe
/ (traɪb) /
a social division of a people, esp of a preliterate people, defined in terms of common descent, territory, culture, etc
(an ethnic or ancestral division of ancient cultures, esp of one of the following)
any of the three divisions of the ancient Romans, the Latins, Sabines, and Etruscans
one of the later political divisions of the Roman people
any of the 12 divisions of ancient Israel, each of which was named after and believed to be descended from one of the 12 patriarchs
a phyle of ancient Greece
informal, often jocular
a large number of persons, animals, etc
a specific class or group of persons
a family, esp a large one
biology a taxonomic group that is a subdivision of a subfamily
stockbreeding a strain of animals descended from a common female ancestor through the female line
Origin of tribe
1Derived forms of tribe
- tribeless, adjective
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
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