nomadic
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- nomadically adverb
- nonnomadic adjective
- nonnomadically adverb
- seminomadic adjective
- seminomadically adverb
- unnomadic adjective
- unnomadically adverb
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.
The Tuaregs, a historically nomadic people present across Mali, Niger, Algeria, Libya and Burkina Faso, have for decades taken up arms to protest at being marginalised, particularly around Kidal.
From Barron's • Apr. 27, 2026
Hodgson is a widely respected figure within football after a nomadic career that brought successes - but also failure in his two most high-profile posts, as England manager and before that at Liverpool.
From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026
Even before we embraced the nomadic lifestyle, we’d avoided having pets because we lived in several different countries and didn’t want the responsibility.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 2026
Tudor's unique selling point in a chequered, nomadic coach career was supposedly his ability to provide an instant spark of impact.
From BBC • Mar. 10, 2026
Instead, Australian Aborigines were nomadic or semi-nomadic hunter-gatherers, organized into bands, living in temporary shelters or huts, and still dependent on stone tools.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
Definitions 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.
