Meaning & use
Tribalist
Last updated
A person who strongly favors their own group or tribe, often to the exclusion or detriment of others.
See it in a sentence
Critics accused the politician of acting like a tribalist, favoring his own ethnic group over the nation.
The peace talks stalled because both sides had tribalist leaders unwilling to compromise.
A note on using this word
Related to "tribalism," the word is often used critically in political and social commentary to describe loyalty that overrides broader cooperation.
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
Another way to use it
2. adjective
Relating to or characteristic of tribalism.
The tribalist rhetoric of the campaign deepened divisions in the country.
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