Meaning & use
Tribalistic
Last updated
Showing strong loyalty to one's own group, often marked by hostility or exclusion toward outsiders.
See it in a sentence
Political discourse has grown increasingly tribalistic, with each side refusing to consider the other's views.
The rival fan groups displayed tribalistic behavior, chanting insults at anyone wearing the opposing team's colors.
A note on using this word
Though rooted in the neutral anthropological term "tribe," "tribalistic" is almost always used today with a critical or negative connotation about group loyalty.
Words with a similar meaning
factionalpartisan
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
inclusiveunifying
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