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

The withdrawal of a competitor from a round-robin tournament often results in forfeits for their remaining opponents, which could dramatically and unintentionally change the outcome of the Gold League. —Andrew Ravens‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025

Those groups will play round-robin style to begin the tournament, which runs from June 11 to July 19. —Alex Sherman,contessa Brewer, CNBC, 4 Dec. 2025

As in the past, the month-long tournament, which kicks off June 11 in Mexico City, will be played round-robin style, with the top two teams and the eight best third-place teams advancing to the knockout Round of 32. —Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 4 Dec. 2025

The event begins Friday with a round-robin tournament, after which the first- and second-place finishers will compete for the first Olympic berth. —John Shipley, Twin Cities, 3 Dec. 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