tribune

tribune — noun

1. the word 'Tribune' used as part of the title of a newspaper, suggesting the pape

1.nounB1
Definition

the word 'Tribune' used as part of the title of a newspaper, suggesting the paper speaks for or defends ordinary people

Example

Aminata read about the city council meeting in the Daily Tribune.

proper noun pattern: [Modifier] Tribune

The Chicago Tribune has been publishing daily since 1847.

Common collocations
  • Daily Tribune
  • Chicago Tribune
  • National Tribune
  • Morning Tribune

Grammar Patterns

the [Place/Modifier] Tribune

Usage Note

In this usage 'Tribune' is always capitalised and forms part of a proper noun. It is not a standalone common noun meaning 'newspaper' — you cannot say 'I read it in the tribune.'

Common Mistakes

I bought a tribune at the newsstand.
I bought a copy of the Daily Tribune at the newsstand.
'tribune' is not a generic word for a newspaper; it is only part of a proper title.

2. a position in the ancient Roman Republic: a person chosen by the common people (

2.nounC1
Definition

a position in the ancient Roman Republic: a person chosen by the common people (plebeians) to defend their interests against the ruling patrician class, with the power to block unjust laws and suggest new ones

Example

The Roman tribune vetoed the law that would have raised taxes on small farmers.

tribune + veto — the key power of the office

Minho, elected as a tribune by the plebeians, fought to distribute public land to poor citizens.

Common collocations
  • tribune of the plebeians
  • plebeian tribune
  • elected tribune
  • tribune vetoed
  • tribune proposed
Synonyms
  • representative

    a modern equivalent that lacks the veto power and specific Roman context

  • plebeian advocate

    describes the function but is not a formal title

  • magistrate

    a broader category that includes tribunes but also covers other Roman officials; less precise

Antonyms
  • patrician

    a member of the Roman ruling class, not an elected official

  • consul

    a higher-ranking Roman official who was not primarily a defender of plebeian interests

Grammar Patterns

a/the tribune of the plebeians

tribune + past-tense verb

Usage Note

Often appears in historical contexts with 'plebeian' or 'of the people' (tribune of the plebeians). Distinguished from a consul, who held higher executive authority, or a magistrate, who administered law — the tribune's defining power was the veto.

Common Mistakes

Julius Caesar was a tribune before becoming dictator.
Julius Caesar was a consul before becoming dictator; tribunes were typically plebeian officials.
Caesar was a patrician and never a tribune; tribunes were specifically plebeian representatives.

3. a raised platform or stage, especially inside a church, from which a speaker add

3.nounC1
Definition

a raised platform or stage, especially inside a church, from which a speaker addresses an audience; can also refer to a dais with seats for important figures

Example

The bishop rose from his seat on the marble tribune to address the congregation.

tribune in a church — bishop's speaking position

From the stone tribune, the speaker could see every face in the candlelit hall.

Common collocations
  • marble tribune
  • stone tribune
  • wooden tribune
  • from the tribune
  • seat on the tribune
Synonyms
  • dais

    a raised platform for a speaker or honoured guests, common in halls and banquet rooms

  • podium

    a small raised platform for a speaker or conductor; more general and everyday

  • pulpit

    the raised platform in a Christian church from which the sermon is delivered; more common than 'tribune'

Grammar Patterns

a/the tribune + from which/where

Usage Note

Less common than 'pulpit' for church settings; 'tribune' often implies a more elaborate or elevated structure with seating, not just a simple lectern. Also used more broadly in formal architecture for any raised speaker's platform.

Common Mistakes

The teacher stood at the tribune to give the lesson.
The teacher stood at the podium to give the lesson.
'tribune' is too formal and rare for everyday classroom settings; use 'podium' or 'lectern' instead.

Word family

  • tribunal
    nounC1
  • tribunate
    nounC2
  • tribunician
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

In ancient Roman contexts, a tribune (tribunus plebis) was an elected official specifically tasked with defending plebeians — ordinary citizens — against patrician overreach, and could veto any law or decree. A magistrate (magistratus) is a broader category covering any elected official with legal or administrative duties, including tribunes, consuls, and praetors; the word does not by itself imply a protective role. A representative is a modern democratic concept: someone chosen to speak for a group — it lacks the concrete powers (veto, legislative initiative) and the rigid class structure of the Roman tribuneship. A consul was the highest elected magistrate in the Republic, wielding military command and executive authority; unlike a tribune, consuls came from patrician families and their role was to govern, not to defend one class against another. For example, 'the tribune blocked the consul's decree' captures the tension between the two offices, while 'the magistrate presided over the trial' uses a neutral term for any judicial official.

tribune ↗magistrate ↗representative ↗consul

Common collocations

Phrases

  • tribune of the plebeians
  • tribune of the people

Prepositions

  • tribune of
  • tribune for
  • from the tribune

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

From Latin 'tribunus,' meaning 'chief of a tribe' (from 'tribus' — tribe). In the Roman Republic, the tribunus plebis was an official elected by the plebeian assembly to protect common citizens from arbitrary patrician authority. The power to veto — literally 'I forbid' in Latin — was the tribune's most formidable tool. The newspaper-title sense (18th century onward) draws on this image of a publication that 'speaks for the people.' The architectural sense (a raised platform for speaking) comes from the Latin 'tribunal,' originally the dais where a tribune stood to address an assembly.