What does tribunate mean?
Tribunate most commonly denotes the office of a Roman tribune or the authority exercised by tribunes in ancient Rome. Roman tribunes were elected to protect plebeians, and their power to veto proposals and challenge magistrates made the tribunate a major safeguard against the abuse of political power. The word can also describe a period or form of government in which people acting as tribunes exercise authority. Although its principal associations are historical, modern writers occasionally use it figuratively for an institution that claims to represent ordinary citizens or oppose an oppressive administration. In such contexts, the word carries both democratic and confrontational implications. The distinctive historical fact behind its significance is that the Roman tribunate gave plebeians an institutional means of contesting decisions made by the ruling elite, making it a lasting model for the idea that a representative official must be able to defend ordinary citizens against more powerful interests.
nounThe office or position of a Roman tribune, or a period or form of government in which tribunes exercise authority.
- The office or position of a Roman tribune.
- A period or form of government in which tribunes exercise authority.
"The tribunate became a powerful check on Rome's magistrates."
"The tribunate became a powerful check on Rome's magistrates."
"In the novel, the rebels establish a tribunate to challenge the old regime."
Usually encountered in historical or comparative discussions referring to different tribunate institutions; the singular collective use is more common.
"The historian compared the Roman tribunate with later revolutionary tribunates."
The Roman tribunate armed plebeians with a veto, turning an elected defender into one of antiquity's most feared checks on power.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does tribunate come from?
Tribunate comes through French from Latin tribunatus, a noun meaning the office or dignity of a tribune and derived from tribunus, meaning a tribal official or magistrate. English borrowed the word in the early 17th century during renewed interest in ancient Roman political history. Its relatives include tribune, tribunal, and tribunicial, all ultimately associated with the same Latin root.
Related word forms
How tribunate is actually used
The word is primarily formal and historical. In modern political writing it can refer more broadly to a representative institution or system intended to defend the interests of citizens against authority.
Easily confused with tribunate
A tribunal is a court or the place where a court sits, whereas a tribunate is the office or system of authority associated with a tribune.