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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.

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noun

• Scandinavians
  plural

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

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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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• anti-Scandinavian
  adjective
• non-Scandinavian
  adjective
• pro-Scandinavian
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• Scandinavians
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Scandinavian

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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Scandinavian Scandinavians

She is a staunch defender of the Scandinavian country's famed welfare state, with an attitude that resonates with many Swedes, regularly topping opinion polls on the country's most trusted politicians.

From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026

“You see this in Scandinavian countries, you see it in China where they mandated EVs and they put money behind it and the industry surged.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026

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

Another solution to this front-line problem grows in Scandinavian forests.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 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

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

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

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