noun
bandit
BAN-dit/ˈbændɪt/
A robber or outlaw, especially one operating in a gang.
A bandit blocks the traveler's cart.
Etymology
Italian bandito meant an outlaw—someone banished or proscribed. The English meaning focuses on a particular kind of outlaw: a robber, especially one operating in an organized band.
In context
Does that mean one should become a thief? They gave me food. I wanted to live. So I became a bandit.
More examples
- The bandits stole the travelers' horses.
- The film follows a bandit who abandons his gang.
- Merchants hired guards to protect them from bandits.
Forms
bandit · bandits