tribal

American  

[trahy-buhl] / ˈtraɪ bəl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of a tribe.

   tribal customs in Indonesia.

2. 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.

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tribal British  

/ ˈtraɪbəl /

adjective

1. of or denoting a tribe or tribes

   tribal chiefs in northern Yemen

2. displaying loyalty to a tribe, group, or tribal values

   the tribal loyalties of Labour MPs

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Other Word Forms

• nontribal adjective
• quasi-tribal adjective
• subtribal adjective
• tribally adverb

Etymology

Origin of tribal

First recorded in 1625–35; tribe + -al ¹

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."

Example Sentences

"I really think the government is going to go all out on mining," said Shalini Gera, a lawyer who has worked with tribal communities in Bastar.

From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026

"The insurgency started because of tribal exploitation -- by landlords, government agencies, forest officials and police," said Chhattisgarh's former police chief, DM Awasthi.

From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026

Today, many American Indians have chosen to accept “allegiance” to the U.S., to live outside of tribal nations, and to enjoy the full benefits and burdens of citizenship.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

The tribe expects its state funding will be gone by the end of June, and is already laying off personnel from work that tribal leaders hoped would help employ tribal members long term.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026

The Washington administration gave the appearance of wanting to treat tribal nations fairly, but its actions spoke otherwise.

From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz