1.
tribe; clan; ethnic group
A social group bound by shared ancestry, customs, and territory. Used in anthropological, historical, and geographical contexts.
A compound of 部 (section, group) and 族 (clan, tribe).
Common collocations
- 部族間 (between tribes, intertribal)
- 部族社会 (tribal society)
- 部族の長 (tribal chief)
- 少数部族 (minority tribe)
- 遊牧部族 (nomadic tribe)
Primarily used when discussing indigenous peoples, historical societies, or anthropological topics. In modern Japanese, 民族 (ethnic group, people) is the broader and more common term. 部族 specifically implies a smaller, more localized group with shared kinship ties.