nomad

noun

no·​mad ˈnō-ˌmad 

1

: a member of a people who have no fixed residence but move from place to place usually seasonally and within a well-defined territory

For centuries nomads have shepherded goats, sheep, and cattle across the … semiarid grasslands …

—Discover

2

: an individual who roams about

He lived like a nomad for a few years after college, never holding a job in one place for very long.

nomad adjective

nomadism

ˈnō-ˌma-ˌdi-zəm 

noun

Synonyms of nomad

• wanderer
• traveler
• drifter
• vagabond

Examples of nomad in a Sentence

He lived like a nomad for a few years after college, never holding a job in one place for very long.

after college she became quite the nomad, backpacking through Europe with no particular destination

Recent Examples on the Web

However, the wheels are just intended for minor on-site movements, not for towing on a public road, so this isn't a good choice for would-be nomads. —New Atlas, 12 Jan. 2026

Best Hotels & Resorts Nomad Hotel Dieter Roelen and Monica Mascaros, the husband-and-wife duo behind Nomad Hotel, spent 20 years living like nomads and traveling around the world. —Liz Provencher, Travel + Leisure, 9 Jan. 2026

Emerging cities worth watching Tbilisi, Georgia has become a big hit for nomads looking for affordability and a fascinating culture. —Taylor Haught, Sacbee.com, 5 Jan. 2026

Kevin Costner stars as the Mariner, a nomad with a boat and a talent for defending himself against the gangs that travel the seas, raiding local communities. —Lia Beck, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin Nomades (singular Nomas), name given to various pastoral peoples, as in northern Africa or Scythia, borrowed from Greek nomádes "pastoral people who move from place to place seasonally," plural of nomad-, nomás "wanderer, shepherd," as adjective, "wandering, roaming," from nomḗ "pasturing of animals, pasture, herd" or nomós "pasture, feeding ground" (both o-ablaut derivatives of némein "to graze, pasture [animals]) + -ad-, -as, noun and adjective suffix denoting descent from or connection with — more at nimble

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing nomad

• digital nomad

Rhymes for nomad

• comrade
• dryad
• dyad
• forbad
• grandad
• granddad
• keypad
• notepad
• postgrad
• sinbad
• tetrad
• triad

Kids Definition

nomad

noun

no·​mad ˈnō-ˌmad 

1

: a member of a people that has no fixed home but wanders from place to place

2

: an individual who roams about without a goal or purpose

nomad adjective

or nomadic

nō-ˈmad-ik

nomadism

ˈnō-ˌmad-ˌiz-əm 

noun