Family / B2

TRYB/traɪb/

A tribe is a group of people who share ancestry, culture, or (looser) a common interest: a named tribe; a tribe of fans (informal). Ethnic group is often safer in modern exam writing; tribal is the adjective. Name the group as the source names it. Mix-up: tribe vs bribe; tribute (next). Do not use tribe as a joke for a friendship group in a geography paper.

Meaning

A group of people who share ancestry and culture; informally, a group with a shared interest.

Examples

• “Name the group as the source names it; do not write “a tribe” if the extract says nation or clan.”
• “A tribe of regulars kept the club going, which is the informal-group sense — avoid it in formal geography.”

Good to know

a named tribe; tribe of (informal). Adjective: tribal. Often safer: ethnic group / nation (as the source). Trap: tribute. History and anthropology. A people with shared identity; match the source’s term.

Topics

New