nomad

American  

[noh-mad] / ˈnoʊ mæd /

noun

• nomads
  plural

1. a member of a people or tribe that has no permanent abode but moves about from place to place, usually seasonally and often following a traditional route or circuit according to the state of the pasturage or food supply.

2. any wanderer; itinerant.

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adjective

1. nomadic.

nomad British  

/ ˈnəʊmæd /

noun

1. a member of a people or tribe who move from place to place to find pasture and food

2. a person who continually moves from place to place; wanderer

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nomadism
  noun
• nonnomad
  noun
• seminomad
  noun
• seminomadism
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• nomads
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of nomad

First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin nomad-, from Greek, stem of nomás “roaming about for pasture,” akin to némein “to pasture, graze”

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Explanation

A nomad is someone with no permanent home, like the member of a tribe that moves from place to place in search of food, or the rock star who spends 365 days a year in tour buses and hotel rooms. The word nomad has traditionally meant a member of a tribe of people who roamed from place to place in search of animals and shelter. Nomadic tribes wandered out of necessity. Wherever the food went, they went. In its more modern sense, a nomad is someone who would rather wander from place to place than set down roots, like the nomad who crashes at his friends' apartments in various cities instead of renting his own place.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

nomad nomads

Once the nomad larvae hatch, they kill the host bee larvae and consume the stored pollen and nectar intended for the mining bees.

From Science Daily ● May 28, 2026

However, this nomad only looked like a pauper.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 26, 2026

If you travel frequently or are a digital nomad, VPNs should be an essential part of your life.

From Salon ● Nov. 30, 2025

He described himself as a "spiritual nomad", exploring paths through yoga, Buddhism, and Christian mysticism, and learned from the Dalai Lama - whom he gifted a tartan-pouched hair clipper in 1988.

From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2025

“You mean besides selling everything we own, becoming a nomad, and charging desperate people a ton of cash to help them?”

From "Storm Runners" by Roland Smith

Shen and Leung credited their decision to build financial assets, rather than home equity, with giving them the financial independence to retire early, and live off their portfolio as digital nomads around the world.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026

Bali, Indonesia's famed tropical paradise, has become a hostspot for digital nomads in recent years, resulting in growing tensions between expats and locals.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

The yurts had been left behind by nomads who’d taken their sheep, goats or cattle somewhere else this time of year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 1, 2026

Multiple battles with Claudius’ henchmen pepper Scarlet and Hijiri’s journey, as does an encounter with the United Nations of this place: a group of wandering nomads from around the world who’ve come together for companionship.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 6, 2026

I realized early on that I was one of the few nomads in the school, and that gave me courage, self-confidence.

From "Facing the Lion" by Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton and Herman Viola

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Related Words

• migrant
• pilgrim
• vagabond
• wanderer

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