noun
bandit
BAN-diht
noun
1
An armed robber, especially one operating with a gang in a remote or lawless area.
"The stagecoach was ambushed by bandits in the mountain pass."
"Local bandits had been raiding villages for years before the army moved in."
2
In military aviation, an aircraft confirmed to be hostile or enemy-operated.
"Radar picked up a bandit closing fast from the north."
How to Use Bandit
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishAn outlaw or robber, especially one who preys on travelers or works with a gang.
Common pairings
a gang of bandits
armed bandits
bandit country
Word Forms
bandited past tense, bandits plural, banditti plural, bandits singular
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Etymology
From Italian bandito ("outlawed, banished"), ultimately from the same root as ban — someone officially cast out was branded an outlaw and, in practice, often turned to robbery.