tribunal

American  

[trahy-byoon-l, trih-] / traɪˈbyun l, trɪ- /

noun

1. a court of justice.

2. a place or seat of judgment.

3. Also called tribune.  a raised platform for the seats of magistrates, as in an ancient Roman basilica.

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tribunal British  

/ trɪ-, traɪˈbjuːnəl /

noun

1. a court of justice or any place where justice is administered

2. (in Britain) a special court, convened by the government to inquire into a specific matter

3. a raised platform containing the seat of a judge or magistrate, originally that in a Roman basilica

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Etymology

Origin of tribunal

1520–30; < Latin tribūnal, tribūnāle judgment seat, equivalent to tribūn ( us ) tribune ¹ + -āl ( e ) -al ²

Explanation

A tribunal is like a court. If you've done something wrong and you get caught it's likely you'll be brought before a tribunal, although not all tribunals are there to determine guilt. Say, for example, you'd like to join a secret society. That society might convene a tribunal to determine whether you're worthy of joining. One way to remember tribunal is to focus on the tri at the beginning of the word. A tribunal is there to "try" a case. A tribunal is a group of people who oversee a trial. Your mom and dad could be a tribunal. You could also think of it as the group who oversees their tribe, which is, in fact, where the word comes from.

Example Sentences

In theory, the tribunal could reject the bureau’s application; could allow the Keyera-Plains deal to proceed so long as Keyera agrees to sell certain assets; and, finally, could order the unwinding of the Keyera-Plains transaction.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026

A part-time cleaner has won more than £260,000 after an employment tribunal found she was unfairly dismissed by a university following a dispute over a rice cooker.

From BBC • May 5, 2026

According to the tribunal report, the university said Ong was dismissed for failing to improve her conduct following mediation, however the tribunal found flaws in the disciplinary process.

From BBC • May 5, 2026

The government says it is recruiting up to 1,000 judges and tribunal members across all courts and tribunals.

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026

After the war Orff claimed falsely at his de-Nazification tribunal that he had himself been involved in the founding of the White Rose movement.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

Related Words

• board
• committee
• judge
• justice