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

• 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

According to a press release, the event, scheduled for Saturday, March 21, 2026, will feature three teams of eight players competing in a round-robin tournament, with the top two teams advancing to a championship match. —Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 22 Sep. 2025

The other two coaches in a round-robin tournament will be Pete Carroll of the Raiders and Sean Payton of the Broncos. —Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 19 Sep. 2025

There are three teams playing one day in a round-robin format. —Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 19 Sep. 2025

Researchers had 39 participants engage in a round-robin speed-dating experiment. —Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025

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