tribute
noun
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Tribute originally took the form of things given from a weaker group to the dominant power of a region—a bit like the "protection money" the Mafia gets from small businesses after making them offers they can't refuse, though the older form of tribute actually did buy the weaker group some protection from enemy forces. Tribute could come in the form of valuables, cattle, or even produce, and might include the loan of warriors to strengthen the ruler's army. But when we "pay tribute" today, it's generally in the form of praise. And when we say, for instance, that a successful school "is a tribute to" the vision of its founder, we mean that its success is itself a form of praise for the person who founded it. And a "tribute band" is a rock group intended to honor a great band of the past.
Synonyms
Examples of tribute in a Sentence
Kerria Weaver, The Arizona Republic, 11 Sep. 2024
This year, Oldenburg will pay tribute to the Myanmar filmmakers with a retrospective of their work.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Sep. 2024
Murad’s shimmery silver and gold 2024 spring couture collection paid tribute to Phoenicia, the ancestor of modern-day Lebanon.
—Ada Tseng, WWD, 11 Sep. 2024
In tribute to her childhood memories of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, sticky-sweet pork ribs are coated in a sauce Charnichart makes with serrano, guajillo, and arbol peppers.
—Elazar Sontag, Bon Appétit, 9 Sep. 2024
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tribute.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Tribute.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tribute. Accessed 28 Sep. 2024.
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tribute
noun
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