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.
In her 2015 memoir, Steinem recounts her dynamic, nomadic career as a writer and activist, and pays vivid homage to the people, places, and conversations that shaped her. — Mary Lawrence Ware, semafor.com, 4 Sep. 2026 Medina is an experienced curator of biennials, having organized the Twelfth Shanghai Biennale in 2018–19 and the ninth edition of the nomadic biennial Manifesta, held in Genk, Belgium, in 2012. — News Desk, Artforum, 4 Sep. 2026 And if the couple decides to live a nomadic life, hopping from mansion to mansion, Farlow said thousands of years of Samoyed breeding should come in handy. — David MacK, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026 Global events have brought together hundreds of representatives from communities whose lives and livelihoods are built on pastoral or nomadic herding traditions. — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Sep. 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 7 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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gist

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

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

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

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

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
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
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All