robinson
n. countablen. a person who lives alone on a desert island, far away from other people. It comes from a famous story about a man who survived a shipwreck.
n. a person who lives in isolation, specifically one who survives alone on a remote island after a shipwreck. Derived from the protagonist of Daniel Defoe's 1719 novel; often used figuratively to describe any solitary or self-sufficient individual.
He lived like a Robinson on the island for ten years.
After the plane crash, the survivor had to play the role of a modern Robinson to stay alive.
The literary archetype of the Robinson explores themes of human resilience and the psychological toll of absolute social isolation in a state of nature.
From Robin + -son.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Usually capitalized as it is an eponym; often used in the phrase 'a modern Robinson'.
Last updated May 2, 2026