nomadic

adjective

no·​mad·​ic nō-ˈma-dik 

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

• ambulant
• ambulatory
• errant
• fugitive
• gallivanting
• galavanting
• itinerant
• nomad
• perambulatory
• peregrine
• peripatetic
• ranging
• roaming
• roving
• vagabond
• vagrant
• wandering
• wayfaring

Examples of nomadic in a Sentence

raised in a nomadic family, she attended half a dozen different high schools

Recent Examples on the Web

High-altitude rivalry The blurry boundaries through the Himalayan peaks and plateaus separating China and its southern neighbors are often relics of imperial era agreements and nomadic routes – now charged with the nationalist rhetoric and military might of New Delhi and Beijing. —Simone McCarthy, CNN, 5 Nov. 2024

To learn more about his decision to go nomadic, his travails from LA to Paris, and what the state of the market means for galleries like his, ARTnews spoke with Fitzpatrick by phone. —Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 5 Nov. 2024

Missing man ‘lived a nomadic lifestyle’ Hietamaki went by his middle name, Herman, and went to high school in Michigan. —Saleen Martin, USA TODAY, 30 Oct. 2024

Once the baby is wheeled away for naptime, our conversation spans matters of womanhood, body politics, and the nomadic spirit that eventually led her to Latin America—themes that also show up in her music. —Suzy Exposito, Vogue, 25 Oct. 2024

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