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  • Scandinavian
    Scandinavian
    adjective
    of or relating to Scandinavia, its inhabitants, or their languages.
  • scandinavian
    scandinavian
    adjective
    of, relating to, or characteristic of Scandinavia, its inhabitants, or their languages

Scandinavian

American  
[skan-duh-ney-vee-uhn] / ˌskæn dəˈneɪ vi ən /

adjective

  1. of or relating to Scandinavia, its inhabitants, or their languages.


noun

  1. a native or inhabitant of Scandinavia.

  2. the group of languages composed of Danish, Icelandic, Norwegian, Old Norse, Swedish, and the language of the Faeroe Islands; North Germanic. Scand, Scand.

scandinavian British  
/ ˌskændɪˈneɪvɪən /

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Scandinavia, its inhabitants, or their languages

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a native or inhabitant of Scandinavia

  2. Also: Norse.  the northern group of Germanic languages, consisting of Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Icelandic, and Faeroese

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Etymology

Origin of Scandinavian

First recorded in 1775–85; Scandinavi(a) + -an

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.

DRS are widely used internationally including in Germany, several Scandinavian countries and, more recently, the Republic of Ireland.

From BBC • May 18, 2026

These sites could help answer a long-standing question about where the metal used in Scandinavian Bronze Age artifacts originally came from.

From Science Daily • Apr. 29, 2026

Other countries have flagship luxury airlines like Emirates, or excellent brands like Scandinavian Airlines.

From Salon • Apr. 28, 2026

The Scandinavian aesthetic is “serene and cerebral,” as Leah Talactac, who is both president and CFO, describes it.

From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026

Tycho Brahe was born in Knudstrup, on the southern tip of the Scandinavian peninsula, on 14 December 1546.

From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin

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