tribal
gb/tɹˈaɪbəl/ us/tɹˈaɪbəl/
B2
English
~ 7100
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B2
property
1
relating to a tribe or tribes
About a tribe or tribes, especially Indigenous people with their own culture, leaders, and land.
Usage pattern:
[tribal] [noun]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'tribal' to mean simply 'traditional' for any culture. 'Tribal' should be used specifically for groups organized as tribes, especially Indigenous peoples, not for all old customs in general.
Synonyms
indigenous (Often refers to original peoples of a region; slightly more formal and specific than 'tribal'.)
|
ethnic (Focuses more on cultural group identity in general, not only on tribes.)
|
native (Can refer to people or things from a place; not limited to tribes and can sound outdated or offensive in some contexts.)
Antonyms
mainstream (Refers to the dominant culture or society rather than smaller traditional tribal groups.)
|
national (Relates to a whole nation-state rather than a smaller tribal group.)
Collocations
tribal community
|tribal culture
|tribal leaders
|tribal land
|tribal areas
|tribal government
Themes
culture
|society
|politics
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The new law gives more control to the tribal government over education and health services.
- Researchers spent several months living in a tribal village to study local customs.
- She specializes in tribal art from the Pacific Northwest.
- Access to the river is limited because it runs through tribal lands.
- Tribal leaders met to discuss how to protect their language and traditions.
Learner examples
- Many tribal people still speak their own language.
- We visited a small tribal village in the mountains.
- The museum has a room of tribal art.
- The river is part of tribal land.
- A group of tribal leaders came to the city to talk to the government.
adjective
B2
property
2
showing strong group loyalty
Very loyal to your own group and often unfriendly or unfair to people in other groups.
Usage pattern:
become [tribal] about [something]
Common mistake:
Learners may think this meaning always refers to Indigenous tribes. In modern political and social talk, 'tribal' often describes any strong group-versus-group thinking, even in offices, sports, or online communities, not only real tribes.
Synonyms
partisan (Often used in politics to describe strong support for one party; slightly more formal and specific to political context.)
|
sectarian (Emphasizes division between religious or political sects; can sound more severe or violent than 'tribal'.)
|
clannish (Focuses on staying with one’s own close group and excluding outsiders; more about social behavior than politics.)
Antonyms
inclusive (Open and welcoming to different groups, the opposite of closing around one group only.)
|
bipartisan (In politics, describes cooperation between different parties instead of group-against-group behavior.)
Collocations
tribal politics
|tribal loyalties
|tribal mentality
|tribal divisions
|deeply tribal
|tribal mindset
Themes
politics
|society
|emotions
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Public debate has become increasingly tribal, with each side refusing to listen to the other.
- Her politics are less ideological and more tribal; she supports whatever benefits her own group.
- Social media can make people very tribal about even small issues.
- In such a tribal atmosphere, compromise is almost impossible.
- They warned that tribal loyalties could tear the organization apart.
Learner examples
- People are very tribal about sports teams.
- The country’s politics are now very tribal.
- Online discussions can become tribal and angry.
- He is not tribal; he listens to different ideas.
- Tribal thinking makes it hard to work together.
adjective
B2
property
3
in a style from tribal cultures
Showing patterns, pictures, sounds, or style copied from traditional tribal cultures.
Usage pattern:
[tribal] [tattoo/pattern/music/print]
Common mistake:
Learners may use 'tribal' only for people or groups and forget it is also common for designs, tattoos, and music styles. Some may overuse it for any non-Western style; in careful use, it should connect clearly to tribal or tribal-inspired patterns or sounds.
Synonyms
ethnic (A broad fashion term for styles from many traditional cultures; less specific than 'tribal'.)
|
primitive (Sometimes used for simple, traditional styles, but can sound negative or offensive and is avoided in careful use.)
Antonyms
modern (Refers to contemporary, often minimal or high-tech styles, not based on traditional tribal designs.)
|
classic (Suggests long-established Western styles rather than tribal-inspired patterns.)
Collocations
tribal tattoo
|tribal patterns
|tribal print
|tribal designs
|tribal beats
|tribal jewelry
Themes
art
|fashion
|music
|culture
|arts_entertainment
|clothing
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He has a large tribal tattoo on his shoulder.
- The collection features bold tribal prints in bright colors.
- The track mixes electronic sounds with heavy tribal drums.
- She wore silver tribal jewelry she bought on her trip.
- Tribal patterns are popular in interior design this season.
Learner examples
- She has a tribal tattoo on her arm.
- I like shirts with tribal patterns.
- The band uses tribal drums in their music.
- He bought tribal jewelry at the market.
- The dress has a red and black tribal print.
Grammar
Dictionary form
tribal
IPA
GB/tɹˈaɪbəl/
US/tɹˈaɪbəl/
Syllables & stress
tri - bal (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (tri)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: tribal
Word family
Core family
tribe
noun B1
Related words
tribalism
noun
tribally
adverb
Negative and opposite forms
nontribal
adjective
Advanced or less common
intertribal
adjective
tribalist
noun
Expressions
tribal council
1/tɹˈaɪbəl kˈaʊnsɪl/
fixed phrase
governing group of a tribe
A group of leaders who make decisions and rules for a tribe.
Examples
- The tribal council voted to build a new school on the reservation.
- Any changes to the land must be approved by the tribal council.
- She was recently elected to the tribal council.
tribal knowledge
1/tɹˈaɪbəl nˈɑlɪd͡ʒ/
fixed phrase
unwritten know-how in a group
Useful information or skills that many people in a group know but is not written down anywhere.
Examples
- When the older engineers retired, a lot of tribal knowledge was lost.
- We need to document this tribal knowledge so new employees can learn it.
- The company depends too much on tribal knowledge instead of clear processes.
tribal land
1/tɹˈaɪbəl lˈænd/
fixed phrase
land owned or controlled by a tribe
Land that is owned or controlled by a tribe, often with special legal rules.
Examples
- The pipeline does not have permission to cross tribal land.
- Hunting is only allowed on tribal land with a special permit.
- Tourists must pay a small fee to enter the tribal lands.
tribal politics
1/tɹˈaɪbəl pˈɑlətˌɪks/
fixed phrase
group-against-group style politics
Politics where people strongly support their own group or party and strongly oppose other groups, instead of talking about ideas calmly.
Examples
- Tribal politics are making it hard to pass any laws.
- Many voters are tired of tribal politics and want more cooperation.
- The election campaign quickly turned into ugly tribal politics.
tribal warfare
1/tɹˈaɪbəl wˈɔɹfˌɛɹ/
fixed phrase
war or fighting between tribes
Fighting or war between tribes or very strongly divided groups.
Examples
- The region has a long history of tribal warfare.
- Tribal warfare forced many families to leave their homes.
- Critics say social media turns debate into a kind of tribal warfare.