round robin
B2Formal to Neutral
Definition
Meaning
A tournament or competition format in which each participant plays every other participant.
A document, letter, or petition circulated among a group where each person adds their signature or comment in turn; a system of scheduling or organizing where tasks or communications circulate among participants.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a noun phrase. In sports/computing contexts, it denotes a specific organizational structure. In general use, it can describe any circular,轮流 process.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is largely identical. The term is common in both sporting and organisational contexts.
Connotations
Neutral; implies fairness and comprehensive participation.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in UK English in sporting contexts (e.g., football, rugby). In US English, common in computing (e.g., DNS round robin) and business scheduling.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[organise/play in] a round robina round robin of [matches/emails]the round robin [format/system]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None directly; the term itself is idiomatic.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
A round robin of emails was used to gather feedback from all department heads.
Academic
The study employed a round-robin design where each participant rated every other.
Everyday
We're organising a round robin tennis tournament for the club members.
Technical
The server uses a round robin DNS configuration to distribute load.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- Not standard as a verb.
American English
- Not standard as a verb.
adverb
British English
- Not used as an adverb.
American English
- Not used as an adverb.
adjective
British English
- The round-robin stage of the championship concludes next week.
American English
- We set up a round-robin schedule for the team presentations.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- We played a round robin game at the party.
- The badminton club is holding a round robin tournament on Saturday.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'Robin' going 'round' in a circle, visiting everyone equally.
Conceptual Metaphor
FAIRNESS IS CIRCULARITY / PARTICIPATION IS A COMPLETE CIRCUIT
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid literal translation ('круглый робин'). Use 'круговая система' or '循环赛' for sports, 'циркулярное письмо' for documents.
Common Mistakes
- Using it as a verb (e.g., 'We will round robin the document' is non-standard). Confusing it with 'Robin Round'.
Practice
Quiz
What is a common non-sporting use of 'round robin'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It can be written as 'round robin' (noun) or 'round-robin' (adjective).
No, it is not standard. Use phrases like 'circulate' or 'organise in a round robin' instead.
It originated in 18th-century Britain, referring to a petition where signatures were arranged in a circle to hide the ringleader.
Yes, commonly in 'round robin scheduling' for tasks or 'round robin DNS' for load distribution.
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