Nordic

American  

[nawr-dik] / ˈnɔr dɪk /

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.

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noun

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

nordic ¹ British  

/ 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

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Nordic ² British  

/ 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

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Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of Nordic

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

Example Sentences

Thursday on Viaplay, a Swedish-owned streaming service whose main business is Nordic noir, a genre so popular that many American streamers give it its own corner.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026

“By transforming local customer processes into Nordic-wide value chains and reducing, simplifying and modernizing technology systems and infrastructure, Nordea will make more effective use of its Nordic scale,” it said Tuesday.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

Bavarian Nordic, with $2.7 billion in 2025 U.S. revenue, and Emergent Biosolutions produce the two FDA-approved mpox vaccines.

From Barron's • Mar. 17, 2026

Meenagh, 36, became the first Briton to win a medal at the World Para Nordic Skiing Championships when he claimed silver in the 12.5km individual biathlon in 2023.

From BBC • Mar. 3, 2026

At the time, Congress was about to pass a new immigration act that made it easy for so-called Nordic people to immigrate to the United States.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield