nomadic
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
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.
Once they’re capable of independent survival, Voisard said they become nomadic and explore for the first five years of their life.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 28, 2026
Kezia is the lone surviving member of a nomadic Romani family.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
But for a generation navigating a nomadic job market and a heavy social calendar of weddings and travel, it helps to reframe that survival fund as your cash reserve or “opportunity fund.”
From MarketWatch ● May 8, 2026
Shakhtar have led a nomadic existence since the 2014 Russia-backed annexation of Donetsk, playing their home matches all around Ukraine.
From BBC ● Apr. 30, 2026
Annual meetings of far- flung nomadic tribes were set for prescribed times.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
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.
