nomadic

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adjective no·mad·ic \ nō-ˈma-dik \

Definition 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

Examples of nomadic in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of nomadic from the Web

And indeed, after dropping out of college, Kimmel, who had taken his first steps into radio while still in high school, became a nomadic radio DJ, hired and fired at stations across the country before winding up at KROQ in Los Angeles.

— scott feinberg, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Awards Chatter' Podcast — Jimmy Kimmel ('Jimmy Kimmel Live!')," 18 Aug. 2017
Cattle farming has more or less destroyed Bushmen culture and customs, trapping these nomadic people inside fences and other borders.

— eric vohr, chicagotribune.com, "Sparsely populated Namibia delivers lots of surprises for safari-goers," 16 Aug. 2017
Walls and her siblings lived an unstable, nomadic life with her alcoholic father, Rex, and her artistic mother, Rose Mary, eventually settling in a ramshackle house.

— julie hinds, Detroit Free Press, "Will the screen version of 'The Glass Castle' live up to the remarkable memoir?," 6 Aug. 2017
In fact, nomadic herders have lived off the vast expanses of grass in the Rift Valley for centuries.

— charles p. pierce, Esquire, "The Climate Crisis Is Here. Now.," 24 July 2017
Platinum Heritage’s overnight desert adventure also focuses on the flora and fauna of the desert, but with an added emphasis on the culture of the region’s indigenous Bedouin nomadic tribes.

— jenny b. davis, star-telegram, "From shimmering sand dunes to glimmering skyscrapers, everything blings in Dubai," 17 July 2017
Platinum Heritage’s overnight desert adventure also focuses on the flora and fauna of the desert, but with an added emphasis on the culture of the region’s indigenous Bedouin nomadic tribes.

— jenny b. davis, star-telegram, "From shimmering sand dunes to glimmering skyscrapers, everything blings in Dubai," 17 July 2017
In the 1960s, the Canadian government encouraged the traditionally nomadic Inuit to move into subsidized housing.

— camilla andersen, TIME.com, "How climate change is disrupting the Inuit of Clyde River," 13 July 2017
Lock wasn't aware of who Brown was before the nomadic veteran assistant coach joined Missouri last spring -- despite Brown's pedigree of having coached three Jim Thorpe Award winners.

— tom green, AL.com, "Missouri quarterback Drew Lock credits Auburn's Greg Brown for some of his development in 2016," 12 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'nomadic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of nomadic

circa 1818

nomadic Synonyms

Synonyms

ambulant, ambulatory, errant, fugitive, gallivanting (also galavanting), nomad, itinerant, perambulatory, peregrine, peripatetic, ranging, roaming, roving, vagabond, vagrant, wandering, wayfaring

Related Words

drifting, footloose, meandering, rambling; sauntering, strolling, traipsing, walking; migrant, migratory

Near Antonyms

immobile, nonmoving, settled, standing, static, stationary; motionless, still

Other Anthropology Terms

ectomorph, ethnography, prehistory, yurt

NOMADIC Defined for Kids

nomadic

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adjective no·mad·ic \ nō-ˈma-dik \

Definition of nomadic for Students

1 :characteristic of or being a nomad or group of nomads

nomadic herders

a nomadic lifestyle

2 :roaming about from place to place

nomadic wolves

Learn More about nomadic

See words that rhyme with nomadic Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for nomadic Spanish Central: Translation of nomadic Nglish: Translation of nomadic for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of nomadic for Arabic speakers

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nomadic

Definition of nomadic

Examples of nomadic in a Sentence

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First Known Use of nomadic

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Synonyms

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Other Anthropology Terms

NOMADIC Defined for Kids

nomadic

Definition of nomadic for Students

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nomadic

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Examples of nomadic in a Sentence

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nomadic Synonyms

Synonyms

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