Nordic

[nawr-dik]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of a Germanic people of northern European origin, exemplified by the Scandinavians.

2. having or suggesting the physical characteristics associated with these people, typically tall stature, blond hair, blue eyes, and elongated head.

3. (sometimes lowercase),  of or relating to skiing events involving ski jumping and cross-country skiing.

noun

1. a member of the Nordic people, especially a Scandinavian.

nordic

¹

/ ˈnɔːdɪk /

adjective

1. skiing of or relating to competitions in cross-country racing and ski-jumping Compare alpine

2. (of recreational walking) incorporating the use of poles that resemble ski poles to aid movement

Nordic

²

/ ˈnɔːdɪk /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or belonging to a subdivision of the Caucasoid race typified by the tall blond blue-eyed long-headed inhabitants of N Britain, Scandinavia, N Germany, and the Netherlands

Other Word Forms

• Nordicity noun
• anti-Nordic adjective
• non-Nordic adjective
• pro-Nordic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Nordic¹

1895–1900; < French nordique, equivalent to nord north + -ique -ic

Word History and Origins

Origin of Nordic¹

C19: from French nordique, from nord _north

Example Sentences

Spain and the Nordic countries support the 2040 proposal, as does Germany -- with some caveats.

Read more on Barron's

The government's aim is to better manage immigration, strengthen internal security and align Finland's immigration policy with other Nordic countries.

Read more on Barron's

And with every new measure, the Taliban authorities are testing "how far they can go", said Bakhtari, who also used to be Afghanistan's ambassador to the Nordic countries.

Read more on Barron's

However, certain special products, mainly high-strength steel for the automotive industry, are exported from the Nordics, it added.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Mr Holzapfel at Nordic Air Defence currently works with Sweden and its European allies.

Read more on BBC

When To Use

What is Nordic skiing?

Nordic is a classification used to refer to types of skiing, including cross-country skiing and ski jumping.The terms Nordic and Nordic skiing are used in contrast with Alpine and Alpine skiing, which refer to what’s sometimes also called downhill skiing. Alpine events include the downhill, the slalom, the giant slalom, and the super giant slalom (popularly called Super G). Both nordic and alpine are sometimes left uncapitalized.There are multiple Nordic events in the Winter Olympics, including multiple events in both ski jumping (Normal Hill and Large Hill) and cross-country skiing (including sprints and longer distance races, such as the one known as Skiathlon). The event called Nordic Combined features both cross-country skiing and ski jumping.There are also Nordic skiing events in the Paralympic Winter Games.The skis used in Nordic skiing differ from those used in Alpine skiing in shape, size, and structure.Example: Alpine skiing gets a lot of attention during the Olympics, but the Nordic events are also very exciting to watch.