■ noun
1》 a social division in a traditional society consisting of linked families or communities with a common culture and dialect.
↘(in ancient Rome) each of several (originally three) political divisions.
↘ derogatory a distinctive close-knit social or political group.
↘( ~s ) informal large numbers of people.
2》 Biology a taxonomic category that ranks above genus and below family or subfamily.
Origin
ME: from OFr. tribu or L. tribus (sing. and plural); perh. related to tri- 'three' and referring to the three divisions of the early people of Rome.
Usage
In historical contexts, the word ~ is broadly accepted ( the area was inhabited by Slavic ~s ). However, when used to refer to traditional societies today, the word can be problematic, because it is associated with past attitudes of white colonialists towards so-called primitive or uncivilized peoples. It is therefore generally preferable to use alternative terms such as community or people .