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

• nomad

Examples of nomadic in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web

On the Kazakh steppe, centuries of nomadic tradition shaped a culture rooted in hospitality and community. —Nina Subkhanberdina, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025

My Life on the Road and wanted to ask about her experience growing up with a nomadic family that rarely put her in in-person school. —Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 18 Sep. 2025

Mongolia’s vast steppes and nomadic heritage have long shaped the rhythms of life. —Munkhtuya Rentsenbat, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025

In reverse, it’s not lost on this viewer how the displacement of so many humans in this time of global disruption is humanity’s own version of being subject to the migratory patterns of storks and other nomadic animals. —Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 29 Aug. 2025

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

Rhymes for nomadic

• dyadic
• faradic
• monadic
• sporadic
• triadic
• haddock
• paddock