Etymologically
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tribunal

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 17 October 2026 at 16:12. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /tɹaɪˈbjuːnəl/, /tɹɪˈbjuːnəl/ (UK); /tɹaɪˈbjunəl/, /tɹəˈbjunəl/ (US)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Old French tribunal (“judgement seat”) and directly Latin tribūnal (“platform for magistrates' seats”),[2][3][4] from tribūnus (“Roman official, magistrate”), literally the head of a tribe (see tribune),[2][3] from tribus (“tribe”).[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

A judgement seat: 1447 (trybunal) in Barnhart, the early 15th century in Etymonline.[2][3] The OED's first quotation, for the raised platform of a Roman basilica, is from 1526.[5]

Semantic evolution

A court of justice is from 1590 (the 1580s),[5][3] and figuratively a place of judgement from 1635.[5] Local boards empowered to settle disputes are from 1916,[5] and the New Oxford dates the modern sense of a body appointed to judge a particular matter to the early 20th century.[4]

Timeline

  • 1447 – trybunal, a judgement seat.[2]
  • 1526 – a Roman tribunal.[5]
  • 1590 – a court of justice.[5]
  • 1916 – a board settling disputes.[5]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. A court of justice.
  2. A board appointed to judge a particular matter, such as a dispute.
  3. A raised platform for a judge's seat, originally in a Roman basilica.

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
  3. ^ a b c d e Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press