nomad

American  

[noh-mad] / ˈnoʊ mæd /

noun

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

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

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”

Example Sentences

The idea of being a digital nomad with no oversight is romantic, but when your income is project-based or hourly billed, you start feeling like every waking moment you aren’t working is costing you money.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 16, 2026

A portion of those clients are distant descendants seeking a second citizenship, while another crop of those clients are seeking passive income visas for retirees and digital nomad visas for remote workers, Pinto said.

From Salon • May 18, 2025

More than 60 countries have recently introduced digital nomad visa programs, which typically last between six months and a year.

From Salon • Nov. 16, 2024

Now he’s pursuing a specialized Spanish visa offered to remote workers, also known as a digital nomad visa, with a goal of moving within three years.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 5, 2024

He was the city of kings, and the voice of Scheherazade, the whirling dervishes that leap, the fire worshippers, the nomad Kurds, and the eighteen sheep.

From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri

Related Words

• migrant
• pilgrim
• vagabond
• wanderer