Nearby words

  1. tribal,
  2. tribalism,
  3. tribally,
  4. tribasic,
  5. tribasic sodium phosphate,
  6. tribeca,
  7. tribelet,
  8. tribesman,
  9. tribespeople,
  10. tribeswoman

Origin of tribe

1200–50; Middle English < Latin tribus tribe, orig., each of the three divisions of the Roman people; often taken as derivative of trēs three, though formation unclear

Related formssub·tribe, nounun·der·tribe, noun Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for tribe

British Dictionary definitions for tribe



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)
  1. any of the three divisions of the ancient Romans, the Latins, Sabines, and Etruscans
  2. one of the later political divisions of the Roman people
  3. 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
  4. a phyle of ancient Greece
informal, often jocular
  1. a large number of persons, animals, etc
  2. a specific class or group of persons
  3. 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 Formstribeless, adjective

Word Origin for tribe

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


Word Origin and History for tribe



mid-13c., "one of the twelve divisions of the ancient Hebrews," from Old French tribu, from Latin tribus "one of the three political/ethnic divisions of the original Roman state" (Tites, Ramnes, and Luceres, corresponding, perhaps, to the Latins, Sabines, and Etruscans), later, one of the 30 political divisions instituted by Servius Tullius (increased to 35 in 241 B.C.E.), perhaps from tri- "three" + *bhu-, root of the verb be. Others connect the word with the root of Welsh tref "town, inhabited place."

In the Biblical sense, which was the original one in English, the Latin word translates Greek phyle "race or tribe of men, body of men united by ties of blood and descent, a clan" (see physic). Extension to any ethnic group or race of people is first recorded 1590s.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Medicine definitions for tribe




An occasional taxonomic category placed between a subfamily and a genus or between a suborder and a family and usually containing several genera.
