tribalists
Group identity champions
People who exhibit strong loyalty to their own group—whether ethnic, political, cultural, or social—often at the expense of broader unity or cooperation with outsiders.
The term typically carries negative connotations, suggesting that tribalists prioritize in-group solidarity over rational evaluation or common ground: Political tribalists refuse to acknowledge when their own side is wrong.
The word implies knee-jerk defensiveness and hostility toward perceived rivals.
Collective of connected people
- kinshipState of being related
- solidarityUnity among allies
- fellowshipMutual goodwill among companions
- bondingForming close connections
camaraderie · in-group · brotherhood · sisterhood · affiliation · cohesion · unity · alliance
Hatred of outsiders
- sectarianismPrejudiced loyalty to subgroups
- insularityNarrow detachment from broader views
- parochialismExcessive local focus
- discriminationUnjust differential treatment
prejudice · nativism · segregation · favoritism · nepotism · othering · out-group · clannishness
Inherited cultural legacy
- lineageDescent from progenitors
- ancestorsThose from whom one descends
- genealogyStudy of family descent
- bloodlineAncestry through generations
kinship · roots · tradition · clan · forebears · descent · dynasty · family
Loyalty to one faction
- factionalismDivision into opposing cliques
- polarizationSeparation into opposing extremes
- nationalismDevotion to one's country
- jingoismBellicose extreme patriotism
ideologues · zealots · base · hardliners · loyalists
Conformity-driven poor decisions
- dogmaUnchallengeable official beliefs
- orthodoxyAdherence to accepted beliefs
- indoctrinationSystematic uncritical belief instillation
- bandwagonSurging popular cause
community
Collective of connected people
- kinshipState of being related
- solidarityUnity among allies
- fellowshipMutual goodwill among companions
bonding · camaraderie · in-group · brotherhood · sisterhood · affiliation · cohesion · unity · alliance · loyalty
xenophobia
Hatred of outsiders
- sectarianismPrejudiced loyalty to subgroups
- insularityNarrow detachment from broader views
- parochialismExcessive local focus
discrimination · prejudice · nativism · segregation · favoritism · nepotism · othering · out-group · clannishness · protectionism
heritage
Inherited cultural legacy
- lineageDescent from progenitors
- ancestorsThose from whom one descends
- genealogyStudy of family descent
bloodline · kinship · roots · tradition · clan · forebears · descent · dynasty · family · legacy
partisanship
Loyalty to one faction
- factionalismDivision into opposing cliques
- polarizationSeparation into opposing extremes
- nationalismDevotion to one's country
jingoism · ideologues · zealots · base · hardliners · loyalists
groupthink
Conformity-driven poor decisions
- dogmaUnchallengeable official beliefs
- orthodoxyAdherence to accepted beliefs
- indoctrinationSystematic uncritical belief instillation
bandwagon · uniformity · conformism · cultish · shibboleths
tribalistsuniversalists
Believers in common principles
cosmopolitans · humanitarians · globalists · internationalists · humanists
tribalistscosmopolitans
Worldly, well-traveled people
integrationists · assimilationists · xenophiles · multiculturalists · internationalists
tribalistsindividualists
Those prioritizing personal independence
nonconformists · independents · libertarians · mavericks · lone wolves
- political tribalismGroup identity overriding reason