nomadic
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of nomadic
From the Greek word nomadikós, dating back to 1810–20. See nomad, -ic
Explanation
A nomad is someone who lives by traveling from place to place. Nomadic thus means anything that involves moving around a lot. Nomadic hunter-gatherer tribes follow the animals they hunt, carrying tents with them. You don't have to be a nomad to live a nomadic lifestyle. People who work for the state department travel from foreign country to foreign country in four-year postings––they might call this nomadic. If you change schools a lot because of your parents' moves, you could say you've had a nomadic education.
Vocabulary lists containing nomadic
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
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100 Great Words from "Fahrenheit 451" -- Part I Vocabulary
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Mesopotamia - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Saint-Maximin spent four years at Newcastle - the longest stint in his nomadic career - before joining Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
The nomadic life hasn’t always been comfortable for Washburn either.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
The actor on her nomadic childhood, a scary experience in Thailand and breaking through on “Weeds.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
A historically nomadic people, Tuaregs, who are spread across Mali, Niger, Algeria, Libya and Burkina Faso, have waged an armed struggle for decades against marginalisation, with action centred in particular around Kidal.
From Barron's ● Jul. 4, 2026
They were not nomadic, but built up and lived in some of the world’s biggest and most opulent cities.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
