criminal tribe

noun

a caste or tribe in British India that is deemed by authorities in "addicted to the systematic commission of non-bailable offences", and was subjected to extensive police surveillance and registration.

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Meanings

nouncriminal tribe (plural criminal tribes)

plural criminal tribes

  1. Indiahistoricala caste or tribe in British India that is deemed by authorities in "addicted to the systematic commission of non-bailable offences", and was subjected to extensive police surveillance and registration.

Origin

From criminal + tribe. First defined and introduced in Indian law by the Criminal Tribes Act 1871.

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Cite this entry
APA

criminal tribe. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/criminal%20tribe

MLA

“criminal tribe.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/criminal%20tribe. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “criminal tribe,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/criminal%20tribe.

Source: criminal tribe on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.