Round-robin
Etymology
From French "ruban rond" (round ribbon), reshaped by folk etymology into "round robin." It first named a petition whose signatures were arranged in a circle so no signer could be singled out as the ringleader — a device used by aggrieved sailors. Later it named a tournament where all play all, and any rotating cycle of turns.
noun phrase · /ROWND ROB-in/
A format in which every participant meets every other, rather than being eliminated after a single loss.
What it names
Fairness through completeness — everyone faces everyone, so results don’t hinge on a lucky draw.
Example
We reviewed the proposals round-robin so no single manager’s pick could dominate.
Related idea
A round-robin guarantees everyone plays everyone, whereas a bracket is single-elimination, where one loss ends your run.