tribal
Americanadjective
-
of, relating to, or characteristic of a tribe.
tribal customs in Indonesia.
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designating, characterized by, or relating to a strong sense of loyalty to one’s own tribe, party, or group.
Tribal politics can be divisive and counterproductive.
adjective
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of or denoting a tribe or tribes
tribal chiefs in northern Yemen
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displaying loyalty to a tribe, group, or tribal values
the tribal loyalties of Labour MPs
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of tribal
Explanation
Tribal things have something to do with a group or tribe, like Native Americans' tribal land, where certain tribes lived for thousands of years. You might have heard the term "tribal sovereignty" before — it's basically the legal right of indigenous or native people to govern themselves under certain conditions. In the United States, for example, tribal groups are recognized as "domestic dependent nations." Sometimes the adjective tribal is slightly derogatory, but only when it's used to mean "overly loyal to a group."
Vocabulary lists containing tribal
"Black Panther" Lingo
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -al, -ial
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TKAM excerpt
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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.
His images conjure illuminated manuscripts, textiles, hieroglyphics, board games, musical scores, and tribal and children’s art, while echoing the structures of animals, crystals, plants and cells.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
The auction house, in Bangor, County Down, has two human heads listed for sale in an ongoing auction: the 3,000-year-old Egyptian head and a Dayak tribal trophy skull from Borneo, Indonesia.
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
Indigenous groups protested against the 2020 fireworks display, and the National Park Service has previously cited tribal, wildfire and environmental concerns over staging fireworks at the site.
From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026
Can you imagine the reaction in the relevant, tribal sections of the media?
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 23, 2026
There’s nothing to affirm a tribal identity, or consolidate power around a leader, like having an Other to denounce.
From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith
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.
