roba

Roba is a term with multiple, unrelated uses across languages and contexts. In Italian, roba is a common feminine noun meaning clothing, belongings, or general stuff; it covers garments as well as objects. It is used in many idioms and colloquial phrases, such as roba da mangiare (food to eat) or che roba! (what a thing/this is surprising). The word is versatile and appears in everyday speech throughout Italy and in areas where Italian is spoken.

Beyond its Italian sense, roba also functions as a surname in various countries and can appear as a component of place names in several regions, reflecting historical naming practices. It is not tied to a single culture or tradition.

ROBA is also encountered as an acronym for different organizations, standards, or programs. The specific meaning depends on context; writers and officials usually define the expansion upon first use.

Because roba spans languages and domains, it can be ambiguous without contextual clues. In reference works, it is typically described as an example of a simple, flexible word that migrates across informal speech, surnames, geography, and organizational acronyms.