| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="windows-1252"?> |
<!-- XBRL Document Created with Wdesk from Workiva --> |
<!-- Copyright 2020 Workiva --> |
<!-- r:7c50ad29-685b-49df-b747-c87cb961fda7,g:a22665da-a08d-4bbe-93b2-e829667152d2 --> |
<link:linkbase xmlns:link="http://www.xbrl.org/2003/linkbase" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xbrldt="http://xbrl.org/2005/xbrldt" xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.xbrl.org/2003/linkbase http://www.xbrl.org/2003/xbrl-linkbase-2003-12-31.xsd"> |
| <link:arcroleRef arcroleURI="http://xbrl.org/int/dim/arcrole/all" xlink:type="simple" xlink:href="http://www.xbrl.org/2005/xbrldt-2005.xsd#all"/> |
| <link:arcroleRef arcroleURI="http://xbrl.org/int/dim/arcrole/hypercube-dimension" xlink:type="simple" xlink:href="http://www.xbrl.org/2005/xbrldt-2005.xsd#hypercube-dimension"/> |
| <link:arcroleRef arcroleURI="http://xbrl.org/int/dim/arcrole/dimension-default" xlink:type="simple" xlink:href="http://www.xbrl.org/2005/xbrldt-2005.xsd#dimension-default"/> |
| <link:arcroleRef arcroleURI="http://xbrl.org/int/dim/arcrole/dimension-domain" xlink:type="simple" xlink:href="http://www.xbrl.org/2005/xbrldt-2005.xsd#dimension-domain"/> |
| <link:arcroleRef arcroleURI="http://xbrl.org/int/dim/arcrole/domain-member" xlink:type="simple" xlink:href="http://www.xbrl.org/2005/xbrldt-2005.xsd#domain-member"/> |
| <link:roleRef roleURI="http://www.rossstores.com/role/Cover" xlink:type="simple" xlink:href="rost-20201119.xsd#Cover"/> |
| <link:definitionLink xlink:role="http://www.rossstores.com/role/Cover" xlink:type="extended" id="ib9fb264b6b1447c3ab9f4f15dae78a7f_Cover"/> |
| </link:linkbase> |