nomadic

adjective

no·​mad·​ic nō-ˈma-dik How to pronounce nomadic (audio)
Synonyms of nomadic
1
: of, relating to, or characteristic of nomads
a nomadic tribe
nomadic herders
2
: roaming about from place to place aimlessly, frequently, or without a fixed pattern of movement
a nomadic hobo

Synonyms of nomadic

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of nomadic in a Sentence

raised in a nomadic family, she attended half a dozen different high schools
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Anna Shaverni, a 25-year-old nomadic traveler who's visited 38 countries in three years, experienced it in Japan. — Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026 Rome works remotely, and the couple have been living a nomadic lifestyle without a house or a car of their own for over 16 years. — Scott Laird, Travel + Leisure, 26 Aug. 2026 This off-grid model has been created with mobility in mind and would be a good fit for those wanting a nomadic lifestyle. — New Atlas, 14 Aug. 2026 Their pastoral nomadic traditions, however, also shaped the organization and priorities of imperial government. — Ethan Teekah, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for nomadic

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Greek nomadikós "of a shepherd or herdsman, pastoral," from nomad-, nomás "wanderer, shepherd, nomad" + -ikos -ic entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1818, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of nomadic was circa 1818

Rhymes for nomadic

See All Rhymes for nomadic

Browse Nearby Words

nomad
nomadic
Nomadidae
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nomadic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nomadic. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All