What does tribute mean?

Definitions for tribute
ˈtrɪb yuttrib·ute

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word tribute.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. tribute, testimonialnoun

    something given or done as an expression of esteem

  2. tributenoun

    payment by one nation for protection by another

  3. protection, tributenoun

    payment extorted by gangsters on threat of violence

    "every store in the neighborhood had to pay him protection"

Wiktionary

  1. tributenoun

    An acknowledgment of gratitude, respect or admiration; an accompanying gift.

    Please accept this as a tribute of our thanks.

  2. tributenoun

    A payment made by one nation to another in submission.

  3. tributenoun

    Extortion; protection money.

  4. tributenoun

    A payment made by a feudal vassal to his lord.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. TRIBUTEnoun

    Payment made in acknowledgement; subjection.

    Etymology: tribut, Fr. tributum, Lat.

    The Lord’s tribute of the sheep was six hundred. Numb.

    They that received tribute money said, Doth not your master pay tribute? Mat. xvii. 2.

    She receives
    As tribute her warmth and light. John Milton.

    To acknowledge this was all he did exact;
    Small tribute, where the will to pay was act. Dryden.

Wikipedia

  1. Tribute

    A tribute (; from Latin tributum, "contribution") is wealth, often in kind, that a party gives to another as a sign of submission, allegiance or respect. Various ancient states exacted tribute from the rulers of land which the state conquered or otherwise threatened to conquer. In case of alliances, lesser parties may pay tribute to more powerful parties as a sign of allegiance and often in order to finance projects that would benefit both parties. To be called "tribute" a recognition by the payer of political submission to the payee is normally required; the large sums, essentially protection money, paid by the later Roman and Byzantine Empires to barbarian peoples to prevent them attacking imperial territory, would not usually be termed "tribute" as the Empire accepted no inferior political position. Payments by a superior political entity to an inferior one, made for various purposes, are described by terms including "subsidy". The ancient Persian Achaemenid Empire is an example of an ancient tribute empire; one that made relatively few demands on its non-Persian subjects other than the regular payment of tribute, which might be gold, luxury goods, animals, soldiers or slaves. However, failure to keep up the payments had dire consequences. The reliefs at Persepolis show processions of figures bearing varied types of tribute. The medieval Mongol rulers of Russia also expected only tribute from the Russian states, which continued to govern themselves. Athens received tribute from the other cities of the Delian League. The empires of Assyria, Babylon, Carthage and Rome exacted tribute from their provinces and subject kingdoms. Ancient China received tribute from various states such as Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, Borneo, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Myanmar and Central Asia (listed here). The Roman republic exacted tribute in the form of payments equivalent to proportional property taxes, for the purpose of waging war. Tribute empires contrast with those like the Roman Empire, which more closely controlled and garrisoned subject territories. A tributary state is one that preserves its political position and such independence as it has only by paying tribute. Although, Roman Republic and Roman Empire sometimes controlled client kingdoms providing it with tribute.

ChatGPT

  1. tribute

    Tribute is a term referring to an act, statement, or gift that is intended to show gratitude, respect or admiration. In historical context, it often refers to a payment made by one nation or ruler to another as a sign of submission, protection, or for peace. In popular culture, it could be a special ceremony, performance, or work of art dedicated to a particular person or event.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Tributenoun

    an annual or stated sum of money or other valuable thing, paid by one ruler or nation to another, either as an acknowledgment of submission, or as the price of peace and protection, or by virtue of some treaty; as, the Romans made their conquered countries pay tribute

  2. Tributenoun

    a personal contribution, as of money, praise, service, etc., made in token of services rendered, or as that which is due or deserved; as, a tribute of affection

  3. Tributenoun

    a certain proportion of the ore raised, or of its value, given to the miner as his recompense

  4. Tributeverb

    to pay as tribute

Wikidata

  1. Tribute

    A tribute is wealth, often in kind, that one party gives to another as a sign of respect or, as was often the case in historical contexts, of submission or allegiance. Various ancient states exacted tribute from the rulers of land which the state conquered or otherwise threatened to conquer. In case of alliances, lesser parties may pay tribute to more powerful parties as a sign of allegiance and often in order to finance projects that benefited both parties. Athens received tribute from the other cities of the Delian League. The empires of Assyria, Babylon, Carthage and Rome exacted tribute from their provinces and subject kingdoms. Ancient China received tribute from various states such as Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, Borneo, Indonesia and Central Asia. The Roman republic also exacted tribute in the form of payments equivalent to proportional property taxes for the purpose of waging war.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Tribute

    trib′ūt, n. a fixed amount paid at certain intervals by one nation to another for peace or protection: a personal contribution: acknowledgment, or homage paid.—adv. Trib′ūtarily.—n. Trib′utariness.—adj. Trib′ūtary, paying tribute: subject: yielding supplies of anything, subsidiary: paid in tribute.—n. one who pays tribute: a stream which contributes water to another.—ns. Trib′ute-mon′ey, money paid as tribute; Trib′ūter, a miner paid by a proportion of the ore raised. [L. tributumtribuĕre, to assign—tribus, a tribe.]

Military Dictionary and Gazetteer

  1. tribute

    An annual or stated sum of money or other valuable thing, paid by one prince or nation to another, either as an acknowledgment of submission, or as the price of peace and protection, or by virtue of some treaty; as the Romans made their conquered countries pay tribute.

Suggested Resources

  1. tribute

    Song lyrics by tribute -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by tribute on the Lyrics.com website.

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British National Corpus

  1. Nouns Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'tribute' in Nouns Frequency: #2091

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

How to pronounce tribute?

How to say tribute in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of tribute in Chaldean Numerology is: 6

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of tribute in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5

Examples of tribute in a Sentence

  1. Manchester City midfielder Touré:

    I could not sit back without doing something to help fight Ebola, (The campaign) pays tribute to the many, many African heroes who are in the villages, towns and cities using their skills, resourcefulness and intelligence to battle Ebola.

  2. Candace Gutierrez:

    The significance of Lucky being 60 years old is very big, it's a tribute to the care that they get with our staff.

  3. Jeff Bauman:

    We're here to pay tribute to the people who lost their lives.

  4. Donald Trump:

    I’ve spent the least money and I’ve got the best poll numbers. This is a tribute to business.

  5. Spalding University:

    Our tribute to Muhmmad Ali has disappeared, please help us locate the red bicycle we hung from our University Center( formerly Columbia Gym) in Muhmmad Ali honor.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

tribute#1#7063#10000

Translations for tribute

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"tribute." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 24 Oct. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/tribute>.

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    an exhilarating psychological state of pride and optimism; an absence of depression
    A secession
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