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

Villanova will leave the Big 5 at the end of the 2026-2027 season and the series will continue with five teams starting next season in a round-robin format. — CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026

Serena Williams is routed 6-0, 6-2 by Simona Halep in the WTA Finals round-robin, one of the most one-sided losses in the 18-time Grand Slam champion’s career. — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026

This was the opening game of the round-robin Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy competition between Air Force (3-1), Navy (1-3) and Army. — ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026

The Australian academic competed in breaking’s Olympic debut and went winless across her three round-robin matchups. — Nasha Smith, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 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