tribalism

[ trahy-buh-liz-uhm ]

noun
  1. the customs and beliefs of tribal life and society.

  2. strong loyalty to one's own tribe, party, or group: the tribalism of New Yorkers.

Origin of tribalism

1
First recorded in 1885–90; tribal + -ism

Other words from tribalism

  • trib·al·ist, noun
  • tri·bal·is·tic, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use tribalism in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for tribalism

tribalism

/ (ˈtraɪbəˌlɪzəm) /


noun
  1. the state of existing as a separate tribe or tribes

  2. the customs and beliefs of a tribal society

  1. loyalty to a tribe or tribal values

Derived forms of tribalism

  • tribalist, noun, adjective
  • tribalistic, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012