tribunal

noun

tri·​bu·​nal trī-ˈbyü-nᵊl How to pronounce tribunal (audio)
tri-
Synonyms of tribunalnext
1
: a court or forum of justice
2
: something that decides or determines
the tribunal of public opinion
3
: tribune entry 2

Synonyms of tribunal

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Examples of tribunal in a Sentence

An international tribunal was formed to deal with war crimes. was tried before a military tribunal and found not guilty of the charges
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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Kavanagh originally made this allegation in an employment tribunal lawsuit filed alongside her High Court claim. — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2026 Many leaders of the slaughter were tried and convicted by a United Nations war crimes tribunal that has now closed down. — ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026 The tribunal found that Mladic, together with late Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic and Bosnian Serb political leader Radovan Karadzic, were part of a criminal conspiracy to implement the plan. — Ivana Sekularac, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026 His argument that he should be permitted to leave on a free transfer was dismissed by an independent Premier League tribunal back in May. — Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tribunal

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin, platform for magistrates, from tribunus tribune

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of tribunal was in the 15th century

Rhymes for tribunal

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Browse Nearby Words

tribuna
tribunal
tribunate
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Cite this Entry

“Tribunal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tribunal. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

tribunal

noun
tri·​bu·​nal trī-ˈbyün-ᵊl How to pronounce tribunal (audio)
trib-ˈyün-
1
: the seat of a judge
2
: a court of justice
3
: something that decides or determines
the tribunal of public opinion

Legal Definition

tribunal

noun
tri·​bu·​nal trī-ˈbyün-ᵊl, tri- How to pronounce tribunal (audio)
1
: the seat of a judge or one acting as a judge
2
: a court or forum of justice : a person or body of persons having to hear and decide disputes so as to bind the parties
Etymology

Latin, platform for magistrates, from tribunus tribune, from tribus tribe

More from Merriam-Webster on tribunal

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tribunal

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