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
Their red and blue flag has flown regularly over the town and a number of families can trace their roots back to the Scandinavian country.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
Van der Werff, who is currently the CEO of Scandinavian Airlines, will succeed Michael Rousseau.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 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
“What about climate change?” a man with a Scandinavian accent asked.
From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz
A few hundred yards up the road, there was an even bigger Danish corner, which came to include all types of Scandinavians in one giant collection of sunburns.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 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
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
“Europe needs to step up,” she said, “and ultimately we know that the Scandinavians, Baltic states and Poland are not enough.”
From BBC ● Nov. 20, 2024
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.
