tribal
Americanadjective
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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
Derived 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.
Primm, an alternative to Vegas for Southern Californians that cut 45 minutes off the drive, suffered a decline in tourism after the COVID-19 pandemic and saw increased competition from tribal casinos in California.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2026
From the air, on a flight with Greenpeace, AFP witnessed the crushing pressure on protected areas -- and the difference that the tribal areas make.
From Barron's • May 29, 2026
Hunter was somewhat optimistic leading up to the tribal council and said that he thought some of the jury members had come with an open mind.
From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026
In Opening Act, she raps: "I'm a Jaintia making moves/ I'm a tribal."
From BBC • May 15, 2026
But still I couldn’t enter any tribal university because I had failed my mother tongue.
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
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.
