Robinson Crusoe

American  

[kroo-soh] / ˈkru soʊ /

noun

1. (in a novel by Defoe) a mariner of York who is shipwrecked and lives adventurously for years on a small island.

2. (italics) the novel itself (1719).

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Robinson Crusoe British  

noun

1. the hero of Daniel Defoe's novel Robinson Crusoe (1719), who survived being shipwrecked on a desert island

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Robinson Crusoe Cultural  

1. (1719) A novel by the English author Daniel Defoe. Robinson Crusoe, an English sailor, is shipwrecked and cast ashore alone on an uninhabited island. With great ingenuity and energy, Crusoe sets out to civilize his surroundings: he clothes himself, grows crops, and builds and furnishes a house. Eventually, he has the company of his servant, Friday, a man he has saved from cannibals. Crusoe is finally rescued after spending twenty-eight years on the island.

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Robinson Crusoe has come to symbolize a person who has the strength and resourcefulness to thrive in isolation.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Robinson Crusoe

Thus begins the story of Alexander Selkirk—the real Robinson Crusoe, who for 4½ years lived alone on an uninhabited island with nothing but rats, cats and goats to keep him company.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

"When I first heard there was a shipwreck at Scolt Head Island, I thought it was like something out of Robinson Crusoe," he said.

From BBC ● May 3, 2025

He also played opposite Peter O'Toole's Robinson Crusoe in "Man Friday" in 1975 and alongside Laurence Olivier's depiction of General Douglas MacArthur in 1981's "Inchon".

From Reuters ● Oct. 25, 2023

Damien and one of the daughters travel to visit a woman in a wonderful, ramshackle jungle farm — one part Robinson Crusoe and two parts Dr. Seuss.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 28, 2023

No, he thought: it was like watching Robinson Crusoe conjure up a living out of nothingness.

From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng