Thesaurus results for TRIBAL

tribal

adjective

ˈtrī-bəl

Definition of tribal

as in ethnic

of, relating to, or reflecting the traits exhibited by a group of people with a common ancestry and culture a tribal solidarity that transcends all other loyalties or bonds

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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of tribal Last November, on twenty-two acres of traditional tribal territory, the Fond du Lac Band Fire Program led the first intentional burn in generations. — M. R. O’Connor, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026 Hinds was a big, sometimes difficult personality, with an easy laugh and a large tribal tattoo across his face, plus a general unwillingness to compromise. — Steve Appleford, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026 In the late aughts, the futuristic cowboys of Mexico’s tribal guarachero boom launched superstars like 3BallMTY and Erick Rincón, laying the percussive foundation for Colombia’s guaracha takeover of the following decade and breakouts like Fumaratto. — Richard Villegas, Rolling Stone, 12 Oct. 2026 This latest wave is carrying tribal into new clubs, cities and even launching hybrid forms. — Isabela Raygoza, Billboard, 12 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tribal

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tribal

Adjective

Onscreen, this ethnic conflict allowed Ken-san and other kimonoed gangsters to be presented as pure, sincere, patriotic heroes fighting for traditional Japanese values against savage aliens as well as local, gun-toting yakuza.

— Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
The psychiatrist also highlighted how Latino youth are being bullied due to their ethnic background.

— Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of ethnic

Adjective

In August 2020, amid racial justice protests on the plaza outside Barclays Center, Wu Tsai and her husband, Alibaba cofounder Joe Tsai, pledged $50 million over 10 years to social justice and economic mobility initiatives, prioritizing Brooklyn.

— James LaForge, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2026
That information can be used for civil rights enforcement and to assess compliance with federal laws that bar racial discrimination.

— Justin Papp, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of racial

Adjective

Genocide is defined as attempting to partly or wholly destroy a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.

— Ellie Cook Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
The United Nations broadly defines genocide as seriously harming or killing members of a group with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.

— Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2022

Definition of ethnical

Browse Nearby Words

triathlons

tribal

tribe

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“Tribal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tribal. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of tribal

adjective

Example Sentences

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