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

Every team was guaranteed at least three World Cup matches in the group-stage round-robin that determined who advanced to the knockout rounds. — Albert Samaha, New Yorker, 6 July 2026

After the round-robin games on the half sheet were completed, the championship game was played on full ice. — Eduardo A. Encina, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 July 2026

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

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