bandit

[ban-dit]

See more synonyms for bandit on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural ban·dits or (Rare) ban·dit·ti

[ban-dit-ee] /bænˈdɪt i/.

a robber, especially a member of a gang or marauding band.
an outlaw or highwayman.
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.

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

Idioms

make out like a bandit, Slang. to be extremely successful; profit greatly: The early investors in the company have made out like bandits.

Origin of bandit

1585–95; earlier bandetto, plural banditti < Italian banditi outlaws, plural of bandito proscribed, past participle of bandire banish, exile, announce publicly < Gothic bandwjan to make a sign, indicate (cf. band¹) with v. suffix -ire < Latin -īre

Synonyms for bandit

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1, 2. brigand, desperado.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for bandit

raider, mobster, outlaw, hooligan, gangster, criminal, pirate, robber, marauder, hijacker, desperado, plunderer, crook, villain, racketeer, brigand, forager, pillager, ravager

Examples from the Web for bandit

Contemporary Examples of bandit

She stormed off next door, where the business owner tried to chase Wislon off before the bandit squeezed off a round.
Post Office Robbers More Wanted Than ISIS
M.L. Nestel
December 13, 2014
One bandit came in the night to rob the couple, and shot at his wife when she exited the house.
The Nile: Where Ancient and Modern Meet
William O’Connor
June 21, 2014
I had my first taste of Tetra Pak wine from a neon green package labeled “Bandit” a couple of years ago.
Taking Boxed Wine Seriously: It’s Not Just for Hobos and Teenagers Anymore
Jordan Salcito
March 15, 2014
After all, who has made out like a bandit since the 2008 economic collapse?
‘Hunger Games’ Is a Tea Party Dystopia
Jay Michaelson
December 5, 2013
A bandit tried to rob them, and they shot and killed him and went back to work Monday morning as if nothing had happened.
Secret Service Colombia Sex Scandal Deepens as Political Drama Rises
Tara McKelvey
April 19, 2012

Historical Examples of bandit

It was part of my plan, this meager manning of the bandit ship.
Astounding Stories of Super-Science, November, 1930
Various
They were willing to tell the location of the bandit stronghold.
Astounding Stories of Super-Science, November, 1930
Various
Juve now knew the answer to the riddle of the bandit's disappearance.
A Nest of Spies
Pierre Souvestre
Sophie would report to the bandit—but she had not heard everything!
A Nest of Spies
Pierre Souvestre
How could you imagine the infernal trick this bandit was playing on you?
A Nest of Spies
Pierre Souvestre

British Dictionary definitions for bandit

bandit

noun plural -dits or -ditti (-ˈdɪtɪ)

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

Derived Formsbanditry, noun

Word Origin for bandit

C16: from Italian bandito, literally: banished man, from bandire to proscribe, from bando edict, ban 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for bandit

1590s, from Italian bandito (plural banditi) "outlaw," past participle of bandire "proscribe, banish," from Vulgar Latin *bannire "to proclaim, proscribe," from Proto-Germanic *bann (see ban (v.)). *Bannire (or its Frankish cognate *bannjan) in Old French became banir-, which, with lengthened stem, became English banish.