Tribalism
/ˈtraɪ.bəl.ɪ.zəm/noun
Strong loyalty to one’s own tribe or group, often at the expense of outsiders.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes from Latin *tribus*, originally one of the three political divisions of early Rome, so a term now used for primal group loyalty began as a label for civic organization.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
tribus
“one of the three original divisions of the Roman people; a civic tribe”
Late Latin
Latin
tribalis
“of a tribe”
16th Century
English
tribal
“relating to a tribe or tribes”
19th Century
English
tribalism
“the system, influence, or behavior associated with tribes”
Modern English
English
tribalism
“strong in-group loyalty, especially when it excludes or antagonizes outsiders”