Robin Hood

American  

noun

1. a legendary English outlaw of the 12th century, hero of many ballads, who robbed the rich to give to the poor: a popular model of courage, generosity and justice, as well as of skill in archery, he lived and presided over his band of followers chiefly in Sherwood Forest.

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Robin Hood British  

noun

1. a legendary English outlaw of the reign of Richard I, who according to tradition lived in Sherwood Forest and robbed the rich to give to the poor

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Robin Hood ¹ Cultural  

1. A legendary robber of the Middle Ages in England, who stole from the rich and gave to the poor. An excellent archer, he lived in Sherwood Forest with the fair Maid Marian, the stalwart Little John, the priest Friar Tuck, the musician Allan-a-Dale, and others who helped him rob rich landlords and thwart his chief enemy, the sheriff of Nottingham.

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Robin Hood ² Cultural  

1. A character of English legend, the subject of many ballads (see also ballad) and stories since the fourteenth century. (See under “Mythology and Folklore.”)

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Example Sentences

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

Griffin himself has donated $650 million in charitable gifts to such organizations as the Robin Hood Foundation, Success Academy Charter Schools, several New York hospitals, and several of the city’s museums, the email stated.

From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026

“It’s a bit like Robin Hood, using commercial projects to pay ourselves and reinvest in our films,” said De Givry.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 17, 2026

The Robin Hood legend is one that can always stand up to a retelling, though remaking anything like the ’38 “Adventures of Robin Hood”—at least in the same tone of voice—would result in kitsch.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 31, 2025

At the park, Robin Hood races from tree to tree, his gray mustache quivering as he sniffs.

From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan

Related Words

• charitable
• humanitarian
• magnanimous
• philanthropic