Norwegian

noun

Nor·​we·​gian nȯr-ˈwē-jən How to pronounce Norwegian (audio)
1
a
: a native or inhabitant of Norway
b
: a person of Norwegian descent
2
: the Germanic language of the Norwegian people
Norwegian adjective

Examples of Norwegian in a Sentence

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.
Johannson is the third Scandanavian rookie to score his first career goal this season for Detroit, joining fellow Swede William Wallinder and Norwegian Michael Brandsegg-Nygard. — CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026 On Thursday, the independent Gjedrem Committee submitted the review's findings to the Norwegian Ministry of Finance. — Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026 Martin Wagner, a toxicologist and a biologist at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, who was not involved in the new work, says the study’s findings are exciting. — Payal Dhar, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2026 Sophie Kjærvik, an anger researcher at the Norwegian Centre for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies, pointed out that relief isn’t the same as a lasting benefit. — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for Norwegian

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin Norwegia Norway

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of Norwegian was in 1555

Phrases Containing Norwegian

Rhymes for Norwegian

See All Rhymes for Norwegian

Browse Nearby Words

Norway spruce
Norwegian
Norwegian elkhound
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Norwegian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Norwegian. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

Norwegian

noun
Nor·​we·​gian nȯr-ˈwē-jən How to pronounce Norwegian (audio)
1
: a person born or living in Norway
2
: the Germanic language of the Norwegian people
Norwegian adjective
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
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
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All