tribe
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
a group of people, often living in a specific area, who share the same language, ancestors, and customs.
a social group comprising numerous families, clans, or generations together with slaves, dependents, or adopted strangers.
Simple“The anthropologist spent three years living with a nomadic tribe in the desert.”
In context“Historical accounts describe how various tribes formed a loose confederation to defend their shared ancestral territories against colonial expansion.”
Synonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
a group of people who spend a lot of time together because they share the same interests or lifestyle.
a socially cohesive group of people within a larger society, often defined by shared values or subcultural interests.
Simple“She finally found her tribe when she joined the local hiking club.”
In context“In the digital age, many individuals find their tribe through online forums dedicated to niche hobbies or specific political ideologies.”
- 03 C2 Proficiency
a group used to classify living things that is smaller than a family but larger than a genus.
a taxonomic category that ranks above genus and below family or subfamily.
Simple“In biology class, we learned that this plant belongs to a specific tribe within the rose family.”
In context“The researcher proposed a reclassification of the species based on genetic markers that suggested a different placement within the tribe.”
Synonyms - 04 C1 Advanced
a group of certain animals, especially apes, that live and work together.
a collective group of animals, particularly primates, exhibiting social structure and cooperation.
Simple“The documentary showed how the tribe of chimpanzees hunted together in the forest.”
In context“Observations of the tribe revealed a complex social hierarchy where grooming played a vital role in maintaining alliances between males.”
“Actors tell the story of ancient sweat houses thought to have provided community spaces in Scotland for Celtic tribes in the late Roman period.”
“Less than a year later, nearly all of the Native tribes in the region had been forced onto the reservation.”
PIE word *tréyes From Middle English tribe, tribu, from Old French tribu, from Latin tribus. Doublet of tribus.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.