bandit

American  

[ban-dit] / ˈbæn dɪt /

noun

• bandits,
  plural
• banditti
  plural

1. a robber, especially a member of a gang or marauding band.

   Synonyms:

   desperado, brigand

2. an outlaw or highwayman.

   Synonyms:

   desperado, brigand

3. Informal.

   1. a person who takes unfair advantage of others, as a merchant who overcharges; swindler; cheat.

   2. a vendor, cab driver, etc., who operates a business or works without a required license or permit, and without observing the usual rules or practices.

4. Military Informal. an enemy aircraft, especially an attacking fighter.

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idioms

1. make out like a bandit, to be extremely successful; profit greatly.

   The early investors in the company have made out like bandits.

bandit British  

/ ˈbændɪt /

noun

1. a robber, esp a member of an armed gang; brigand

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• banditry
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• bandits
  plural
• banditti
  plural

Etymology

Origin of bandit

First recorded in 1585–95; earlier bandetto, plural banditti, from Italian banditi “outlaws,” plural of bandito “proscribed,” past participle of bandire “banish, exile, announce publicly,” from Gothic bandwjan “to make a sign, indicate” ( cf. band ¹) with verb suffix -ire, from Latin -īre

Explanation

A bandit is a robber, thief, or outlaw. If you cover your face with a bandanna, jump on your horse, and rob the passengers on a train, you're a bandit. A bandit typically belongs to a gang of bandits who commit crimes in remote, lawless, or out-of-the-way places. A bus traveling through an isolated location that's not policed might be at risk for being attacked by bandits. The word bandit comes from the Italian bandito, "outlaw," from the Vulgar Latin bannire, "to proclaim or proscribe," by way of a Germanic root that's shared by ban.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bandit bandits banditti

Nigeria's police and military have long been overstretched: across its north, Africa's most populous country is fighting a long-running jihadist insurgency, complicated by inroads made by militants from the Sahel, and non-ideological "bandit" gangs.

From Barron's ● Jun. 24, 2026

Bernthal, who plays Sonny, has his own wayward machismo and hapless sensitivity, the very qualities that made Al Pacino unforgettable in the role of the bungling bandit with a Catholic conscience.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 29, 2026

One sculpture transforms the European hero Robin Hood into an African bandit queen who raided slave traders and freed their captives.

From Salon ● Apr. 26, 2026

In the title piece, a reformed bandit is regaled—and possibly lured back to a life of adventuring—by the confessions of a confidence woman.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 8, 2026

If she is a bandit, she’s courageous to come to court.

From "Ella Enchanted" by Gail Carson Levine

The life of a superhero lends itself well to gallivanting through galaxies, battling space pirates and star bandits.

From Salon ● Jun. 27, 2026

"During sustained offensive operations and pressure mounted on the criminal elements, troops made contact with the bandits... leading to the successful recovery of Mrs Abubakar," said Samaila Uba, the director of defence information.

From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2026

The U.K. government has advised against nearly all travel to the Central African Republic, and Brown said he was warned about rebel fighters, bandits, poachers, Russian mercenaries, dengue fever and the Ebola virus.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 23, 2026

There can be no doubt that in tax terms, America’s wealthiest families make out like bandits.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 8, 2026

Instead of turning back or spurring the horse in a bid for escape, the stranger reined in and slowly approached the bandits, who stood in a crescent, blocking the path.

From "The Shakespeare Stealer" by Gary L. Blackwood

There are gold mines and roving banditti; mules are branded, and dung is hauled to smoke out grasshoppers.

From New York Times ● Nov. 26, 2018

One internal British memo portrayed him after victory as demanding the runaways be returned "with all the grossness and ferocity of a captain of banditti".

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2017

Romance abides there, not principally among banditti, but in the very air and infinitely varied scene.

From Time Magazine Archive

The Italians idolize Grand Prix drivers, artists, novelists and occasionally Sicilian banditti.

From Time Magazine Archive

We have been flouted and insulted here by these banditti and their leader.

From Legends & Romances of Spain by Lewis Spence

Related Words

• criminal
• gangster
• hooligan
• marauder
• mobster
• outlaw
• pirate
• raider
• robber