tribal

[trahy-buh l]

See more synonyms for tribal on Thesaurus.com

adjective

of, relating to, or characteristic of a tribe: tribal customs.

Origin of tribal

First recorded in 1625–35; tribe + -al¹

Related formstrib·al·ly, adverbnon·trib·al, adjectivenon·trib·al·ly, adverbpre·trib·al, adjectivepseu·do·trib·al, adjectivepseu·do·trib·al·ly, adverbqua·si-trib·al, adjectivequa·si-trib·al·ly, adverbsub·trib·al, adjectiveun·trib·al, adjectiveun·trib·al·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for tribal

Contemporary Examples

“He was a brave field commander and an expert in intelligence, and in organizing popular and tribal forces,” said the eulogist.
What an Iranian Funeral Tells Us About the Wars in Iraq
IranWire
January 6, 2015
In tribal areas, such legitimacy cannot be gained while Assad in power.
Where Does Obama Stand on Assad?
Hassan Hassan
November 1, 2014
Killer also noted that there are some tribal elections on the same day.
South Dakota's Bizarre Four-Way (Senate Election, That Is)
Ben Jacobs
October 15, 2014
The drones bombing the tribal area, angering many, are run by the Company.
Why So Many Pakistanis Hate Their Nobel Peace Prize Winner
Chris Allbritton
October 10, 2014
A lot of my family has been in tribal leadership, in tribal government, and they did what they were supposed to do.
Native American Basketball Team in Wyoming Have Hoop Dreams Of Their Own
Robert Silverman
August 31, 2014

Historical Examples

An obvious corollary of this is that tribal life does not consistently obtain.
The Forest
Stewart Edward White
Tribal custom requires the bridegroom to reside with the wife's family.
The Truth About Woman
C. Gasquoine Hartley
Not that the Aryans always remembered that these beings were not local or tribal.
History of Religion
Allan Menzies
I do not believe that this tribal idealism which is now so potent will endure.
Irish Books and Irish People
Stephen Gwynn
They are not consulted in the settlement of tribal disputes.
The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India
R. V. Russell

British Dictionary definitions for tribal

tribal

adjective

of or denoting a tribe or tribestribal chiefs in northern Yemen
displaying loyalty to a tribe, group, or tribal valuesthe tribal loyalties of Labour MPs

Derived Formstribally, adverb

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

Word Origin and History for tribal

adj.

1630s, "pertaining to tribes," from tribe + -al (1). Related: Tribally Meaning "characterized by a strong sense of loyalty to one's group" is from 1951 (Arendt). As a style of belly-dance from 1999, American English.

tribal

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}tribal

Examples from the Web for tribal

Contemporary Examples

“He was a brave field commander and an expert in intelligence, and in organizing popular and tribal forces,” said the eulogist.

In tribal areas, such legitimacy cannot be gained while Assad in power.

Killer also noted that there are some tribal elections on the same day.

The drones bombing the tribal area, angering many, are run by the Company.

A lot of my family has been in tribal leadership, in tribal government, and they did what they were supposed to do.

Historical Examples

An obvious corollary of this is that tribal life does not consistently obtain.

Tribal custom requires the bridegroom to reside with the wife's family.

Not that the Aryans always remembered that these beings were not local or tribal.

I do not believe that this tribal idealism which is now so potent will endure.

They are not consulted in the settlement of tribal disputes.

tribal

Word Origin and History for tribal

adj.

Origin of tribal