of, relating to, or characteristic of a Germanic people of northern European origin, exemplified by the Scandinavians.
having or suggesting the physical characteristics associated with these people, typically tall stature, blond hair, blue eyes, and elongated head.
(sometimes lowercase) of or relating to skiing events involving ski jumping and cross-country skiing.
skiing of or relating to competitions in cross-country racing and ski-jumping Compare alpine
(of recreational walking) incorporating the use of poles that resemble ski poles to aid movement
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.
1895–1900; < French nordique, equivalent to nord north + -ique -ic
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
France, Poland, the Nordic countries and Canada, which are now casting the contingency plan as a coalition-of-the-willing within NATO, according to officials involved.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026
Nordic countries, including Norway and Finland had the highest overall scores in the Better Life Index.
From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026
“We are a tiny country, but united with the other Nordic countries, we are a middle power.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026
While Bavarian Nordic is headquartered in Europe, as the name suggests, the U.S. is by far its largest market.
From Barron's • Mar. 17, 2026
“And we want him to be big and strong. We’re learning about mythology in school. I think we should name the skunk after the biggest, strongest Nordic god. We should name him Thor.”
From "A Boy Called Bat" by Elana K. Arnold
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.
