a native or inhabitant of Scandinavia.
the group of languages composed of Danish, Icelandic, Norwegian, Old Norse, Swedish, and the language of the Faeroe Islands; North Germanic. Scand, Scand.
a native or inhabitant of Scandinavia
Also: Norse. the northern group of Germanic languages, consisting of Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Icelandic, and Faeroese
First recorded in 1775–85; Scandinavi(a) + -an
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It is associated with being able to afford life’s necessities and the kind of strong economic rights found in Norway and other Scandinavian countries.
From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2026
Today the Scandinavian nation is the only place in Europe’s top 30 leagues to still officiate games the old-fashioned way.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
However, this is not the first time the comparison with our Scandinavian pals has cropped up.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
Ibrahimovic, the son of immigrants to Sweden from the former Yugoslavia, was the Scandinavian dad urging his kids to ride bicycles to school.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 6, 2026
Her name might have been English, but I had always thought she might be Dutch, or Scandinavian, or German perhaps.
From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo
The two nations have almost identical populations, so how have the Scandinavians aced their plan of attack?
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
Having already beaten Inter at home 3–1, the Scandinavians edged the Italians 2–1 at the iconic San Siro on Tuesday to reach the last 16 of the Champions League.
From Barron's ● Feb. 25, 2026
The Scandinavians were fueled by chefs and nutritionists.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 19, 2026
Meanwhile, Scandinavians are known for rye bread and foraging, though the communal dining and variety in their diets are largely overlooked.
From Salon ● Mar. 3, 2025
For instance, today almost all Japanese and Scandinavians are literate but most Iraqis are not: why did writing nevertheless arise nearly four thousand years earlier in Iraq?
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.
