tribunal
Americannoun
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a court of justice.
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a place or seat of judgment.
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Also called tribune. a raised platform for the seats of magistrates, as in an ancient Roman basilica.
noun
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a court of justice or any place where justice is administered
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(in Britain) a special court, convened by the government to inquire into a specific matter
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a raised platform containing the seat of a judge or magistrate, originally that in a Roman basilica
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.
Vocabulary lists containing tribunal
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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The Constitution of the United States
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"The Lady, or the Tiger?" by Frank R. Stockton
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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.
A mum awarded more than £35,000 in compensation after being sacked from a bar claims she has "not received a penny" almost six months after her "David vs. Goliath" tribunal ruling.
From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026
Machado said she was determined to clear her name and represented herself at the employment tribunal.
From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026
Epsom and St Helier Hospitals NHS Trust, who agreed to settle Melle's claim ahead of a tribunal which was set to commence on Monday, said it was "sorry" she had this experience.
From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026
The ABC will ask Australia's workplace tribunal, the Fair Work Commission, to help resolve the dispute.
From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026
The case involved Indiana citizens convicted by a military tribunal of conspiring to aid the Confederacy during the war.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
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.
