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

Ten riders, including “Rattlesnake” Pete and a presumably reformed Nebraska bandit named Doc Middleton, set out from the Baline Hotel in Chadron on the morning of June 14, 1893.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

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

From Salon ● Jun. 27, 2026

But in his victory speech, de la Espriella insisted that while he would come down hard on drug traffickers and "bandits", he would do so within the confines of the law and the constitution.

From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026

The Rams made out like bandits when the Falcons struggled and the pick they got back turned out to land at No. 13.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 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

Many of the bandits, Campos says, are current or former police officers.

From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario

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

Do you think, O blue eyed banditti, Because you have scaled the wall, Such an old mustache as I am Is not a match for you all?

From Time Magazine Archive

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

From Time Magazine Archive

Mercy on us! this is the great cock captain of the whole brood of banditti!

From The Battle of Hexham; or, Days of Old; a play in three acts by George Colman

Related Words

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