round-robin

noun

round-rob·​in ˈrau̇nd-ˌrä-bən 

1

a

: a written petition, memorial, or protest to which the signatures are affixed in a circle so as not to indicate who signed first

b

: a statement signed by several persons

c

: something (such as a letter) sent in turn to the members of a group each of whom signs and forwards it sometimes after adding comment

2

: roundtable sense 1

3

: a tournament in which every contestant meets every other contestant in turn

4

: series, round

Synonyms of round-robin

• seminar
• symposium
• conference
• panel

Examples of round-robin in a Sentence

a round-robin to discuss the epidemic of performance-enhancing drugs plaguing professional sports

Recent Examples on the Web

To accommodate the 15-team format but not place a burden on the teams heading soon after to the NCAA Tournament, the league trimmed its regular-season schedule from 20 matches to a true round-robin of 17. — Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 26 June 2026

The early-season tournament will see the Yellow Jackets face Cincinnati, Illinois and Tennessee in a round-robin format. — Fisher Isbell, AJC.com, 25 June 2026

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, also attended the event, which helped determine which teams would compete against one another during round-robin play in the world's largest soccer tournament. — Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 24 June 2026

Brazil was the home favorite and the tournament’s dominant attacking team, with 7–1 and 6–1 wins against Sweden and Spain, respectively, in its earlier final round-robin matches. — Tushaar Kuthiala, Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

from the name Robin

First Known Use

1698, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for round-robin

• globin
• haemoglobin
• hemoglobin
• myoglobin

Kids Definition

round-robin

noun

ˈrau̇n-ˌdräb-ən

1

: a letter (as of protest) whose signers put their signatures in a circle so the receiver cannot tell who signed first

2

: a tournament in which every contestant plays once against every other contestant