noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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CMU ARPABET:T R AY1 B AH0 L IH0 Z AH0 M
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:T R AY1 B AH0 L IH0 Z AH0 M
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The condition of being tribal.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A feeling of identity and loyalty to one's tribe.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
The tendency among human beings to form socially cohesive groups within which there exists social pressure upon the individual to conform to either common behaviors, customs, habits, mores and/or norms, and which groups exhibit greater or lesser degrees of exclusivism.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
the beliefs of a tribal society
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: belief
5
noun
Meaning 5
the state of living together in tribes
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: state
History
Etymology
Etymology tree English tribal Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō) Proto-Indo-European *-mos Proto-Indo-European *-mós Ancient Greek -μός (-mós) Ancient Greek -ισμός (-ismós)der. English -ism English tribalism From tribal + -ism.
Across languages
Translations
20 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Danish:
tribalisme
— the condition of being tribal
Finnish:
heimolaisuus
— the condition of being tribal
Finnish:
heimokuntaisuus
— the condition of being tribal
Finnish:
tribalismi
— the condition of being tribal
French:
tribalisme
— the condition of being tribal
Georgian:
ტომობრიობა
(ṭomobrioba)
— the condition of being tribal
Georgian:
ტრაიბალიზმი
(ṭraibalizmi)
— the condition of being tribal
Georgian:
ტრიბალიზმი
(ṭribalizmi)
— the condition of being tribal
German:
Tribalismus
— the condition of being tribal
Russian:
трайбали́зм
(trajbalízm)
— the condition of being tribal
Russian:
трибали́зм
(tribalízm)
— the condition of being tribal
Swahili:
ukabila
— the condition of being tribal
Danish:
stammementalitet
— a feeling of identity and loyalty to one's tribe
Finnish:
heimokuntaisuus
— a feeling of identity and loyalty to one's tribe
Finnish:
tribalismi
— a feeling of identity and loyalty to one's tribe
French:
tribalisme
— a feeling of identity and loyalty to one's tribe
German:
Stammesdenken
— a feeling of identity and loyalty to one's tribe
German:
Stammesbewusstsein
— a feeling of identity and loyalty to one's tribe
German:
Stammesmentalität
— a feeling of identity and loyalty to one's tribe
Swahili:
ukabila
— a feeling of identity and loyalty to one's tribe