bandit

C2+ Topic:General Vocabulary

US /ˈbændɪt/ UK /ˈbændɪt/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
a robber or outlaw, typically one of an armed band

The stagecoach was ambushed by a masked bandit at dusk.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a robber or outlaw,... outlaw robber brigand marauder desperado highwayman

Word family

Derived forms banditry

Related forms banish

Simplified etymology

Bandit entered English in the late 16th century from Italian bandito, literally a “banned person.” It ultimately belongs to the same Germanic word family as ban, associated with proclamation and banishment.

Etymology

From Italian bandito ('outlaw'), literally 'banned, outlawed', past participle of bandire ('to proscribe, banish'), of Germanic origin via the root of ban.

bandito Italian bandire Italian

View etymology graph ->

Topics

General Vocabulary

External links

# bandit

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈbændɪt/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈbændɪt/

## Meanings
1. a robber or outlaw, typically one of an armed band

## Examples
- The stagecoach was ambushed by a masked bandit at dusk.

## Synonyms
- outlaw
- robber
- brigand
- marauder
- desperado
- highwayman

## Derived Forms
- banditry

## Related Forms
- banish

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: bandito
- Root: bandire

## Etymology
From Italian bandito ('outlaw'), literally 'banned, outlawed', past participle of bandire ('to proscribe, banish'), of Germanic origin via the root of ban.

## AI Etymology
bandit comes from Italian bandito ('outlaw'), literally 'banned, outlawed', past participle of bandire ('to proscribe, banish'), of Germanic origin via the root of ban. The path is chiefly one of transmission: an older form is taken into English, with the word's shape and meaning carried through the language names and forms preserved in the history. In modern use, the noun sense is "a robber or outlaw, typically one of an armed band", which keeps the etymology connected to the word's present dictionary value rather than treating it as a merely historical label. The wider word family includes related English forms such as banish and derivatives such as banditry, showing how the same base continues to support neighboring English vocabulary. The principal historical forms in the chain include Italian bandito, Italian bandire, which anchor the explanation in named linguistic material.

## Topics
- General Vocabulary

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