- (in ancient Rome)
- an officer elected by the plebs to protect their interests. Originally there were two of these officers but finally there were ten
- a senior military officer
- a person or institution that upholds public rights; champion
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
trib•une1 /ˈtrɪbyun, trɪˈbyun/USA pronunciation
n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- one who defends the rights of the people.
- Antiquity, Ancient History(in ancient Rome)
- an officer elected to protect the rights of the common people.
trib•une1
(trib′yo̅o̅n, tri byo̅o̅n′),USA pronunciation n.
trib ′une•ship′, n.
trib•u•ni•tial, trib•u•ni•cial
(trib′yə nish′əl)USA pronunciation, adj.
trib•une2 (trib′yo̅o̅n, tri byo̅o̅n′),USA pronunciation n.
- a person who upholds or defends the rights of the people.
- [Rom. Hist.]
- any of various administrative officers, esp. one of 10 officers elected to protect the interests and rights of the plebeians from the patricians.
- any of the six officers of a legion who rotated in commanding the legion during the year.
- Latin tribūnus, derivative of tribus tribe
- 1325–75; Middle English
trib•une2 (trib′yo̅o̅n, tri byo̅o̅n′),USA pronunciation n.
- a raised platform for a speaker;
a dais, rostrum, or pulpit. - a raised part, or gallery, with seats, as in a church.
- (in a Christian basilica) the bishop's throne, occupying a recess or apse.
- the apse itself.
- tribunal (def. 3).
- Medieval Latin tribūna; replacing Latin tribūnāle tribunal
- 1635–45
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
tribune /ˈtrɪbjuːn/ n
tribune /ˈtrɪbjuːn/ n
- the apse of a Christian basilica that contains the bishop's throne
- the throne itself
- a gallery or raised area in a church
- rare a raised platform from which a speaker may address an audience; dais
'tribune' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):