# tribune

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈtɹɪbjuːn/ · frequency rank #11,143

## Definitions
1. An elected official in Ancient Rome, a tribune of the plebs.
2. A military officer in Ancient Rome ranking below a legate and above a centurion, a military tribune.
3. A protector of the people; a public figure who appeals to and on behalf of the people through oratory.
4. The domed or vaulted apse in a cathedral housing the bishop's throne (see).
5. Synonym of pulpit, a platform, a place or opportunity to express one's opinion

## Etymology
From Middle English tribune, from Old French tribun, tribune, from Latin tribunus (“tribune, tribal leader”), from tribus (“tribe”).

## Easily confused with
- **tribute** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tribune-vs-tribute)
- **tribe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tribe-vs-tribune)
- **tribunal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tribunal-vs-tribune)

## Common misspellings (10)
`rtibune`, `tirbune`, `trbiune`, `tribbune`, `tribnue`, `tribuen`, `tribunne`, `triubne`, `trribune`, `ttribune`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/tribune