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

• colloquy
• conference
• council
• forum
• panel
• panel discussion
• parley
• roundtable
• seminar
• symposium

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

Tools like round-robin discussions, silent brainstorming, or pre-meeting input channels help prevent dominance by a few. —Scott Hutcheson, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025

The title is also the prize of the annual Continental Classic tournament, a round-robin competition held in late November and culminating at the Worlds End pay-per-view in December. —Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2025

The Americans won round-robin games against Canada in both the 2010 Olympics and last month's 4 Nations Face-Off. —Ryan Morik, Fox News, 5 Mar. 2025

The tribute concert was a round-robin affair, with rock legends switching in and out between each melody. —Garret K. Woodward, Rolling Stone, 1 Mar. 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