tribe

[ trahyb ]

/ traɪb /

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See synonyms for: tribe / tribes on Thesaurus.com

noun

any aggregate of people united by ties of descent from a common ancestor, a community of customs and traditions, adherence to the same leaders, etc.: the twelve tribes of Israel.

a local division of an aboriginal people: the tribes of Africa.

a division of some other people or nation.

a company, group, or number of people: a noisy tribe of children in the yard.

a group or class of people with strong common traits, values, or interests: the mindset of the tribe of art historians.

a large family: They seem to have invited the whole tribe.

a class or type of animals, plants, or inanimate objects: The robin is, next to the sparrow, 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.

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Origin of tribe

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English, from Old French tribu, from Latin tribus “tribe,” originally, any of the three divisions of the Roman people; perhaps of Etruscan origin, perhaps a derivative of trēs (masculine and feminine), tria (neuter) “three” (combining form tri-) + -bus, a suffix of unclear formation; See three

OTHER WORDS FROM tribe

subtribe, nounun·der·tribe, noun

Words nearby tribe

tribadism, tribal, tribalism, tri-band, tribasic, tribe, tribelet, tribesman, tribespeople, tribeswoman, triblet

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use tribe in a sentence

Because of their traditional knowledge honed over millennia, “tribes are uniquely positioned to lead the way,” wrote University of Oregon researchers in an article at the Conversation.
How we can burn our way to a better future|Ula Chrobak|October 2, 2020|Popular-Science
As Americans increasingly identify themselves as members of warring tribes, they’re less likely to see virtue in any candidate from the other side and far more likely to vote a straight ticket.
What business needs from the 2020 election|Geoffrey Colvin|September 30, 2020|Fortune
The remaining two-thirds are run by tribes or locally elected school boards, which have greater freedom to craft reopening plans and purchase distance-learning equipment.
The Federal Government Promised Native American Students Computers and Internet. Many Are Still Waiting.|by Alden Woods, Arizona Republic|September 28, 2020|ProPublica
Here are the stories of some of the people who have found their tribe in BPI.
Blind and queer and finding community|Kathi Wolfe|September 25, 2020|Washington Blade

We, as a global tribe of travelers, need to understand the implications of our personal decisions right now—whether that’s attending a large gathering in a neighbor’s backyard or hopping on a Labor Day flight.
This year’s top Labor Day destinations might surprise you|Rachel King|September 1, 2020|Fortune
Some gay apps, like the newer Mister, have not subscribed to the community/tribe model.
Grindr’s Trans Dating Problem|David Levesley|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
“The tribe is really made of people who put travel as a priority in their entire lifestyle,” says Evita.
‘We Out Here’: Inside the New Black Travel Movement|Charlise Ferguson|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
A running joke inside the tribe is that the group is like that club with a hundred people waiting outside to get in.
‘We Out Here’: Inside the New Black Travel Movement|Charlise Ferguson|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Tiger Lily and her tribe, however, were outfitted in semi-realistic outfits (read: nearly naked).
‘Peter Pan Live!’ Review: No Amount of Clapping Brings It to Life|Kevin Fallon|December 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As the bill failed in the Senate, a pigtailed member of the Lakota Sioux tribe stood up in the gallery and began chanting.
Keystone Senate Failure Is Environmental Kabuki Theater|Ben Jacobs|November 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
"I bought them boots to wear only when I go into genteel society," said one of the codfish tribe, to a wag, the other day.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun;|Various
This Isthmus has a circuit of fully five hundred leagues and is occupied by the Soriquois tribe.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
They wage war as a tribe on account of wrongs done to a private individual.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
Many of them however are of rude workmanship and might have been fashioned by some of the tribe unacquainted with pipe-making.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
Shoals of tunny-fish, (fish four and five feet long, and belonging to the dolphin tribe,) were seen tumbling about the ship.
A Woman's Journey Round the World|Ida Pfeiffer

British Dictionary definitions for tribe

tribe

/ (traɪb) /

noun

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

Derived forms of tribe

tribeless, adjective

Word Origin for tribe

C13: from Latin tribus; probably related to Latin trēs three

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

tribe

Origin of tribe

OTHER WORDS FROM tribe

Words nearby tribe

Words related to tribe

How to use tribe in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for tribe

Derived forms of tribe

Word Origin for tribe