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 of nomadic

• 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

Founded in 2000 in the living room of translator Olivia Sears, the Center has long been a nomadic institution with no static address. —Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 15 Apr. 2026

The Athletics got to Yankees closer David Bednar in the ninth inning Wednesday night, paving the way for a 3-2, series-tying victory for the nomadic visitors at Yankee Stadium. —Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 9 Apr. 2026

These descendants of Kazakh nomadic herders, who once moved freely across the steppe with their animals, now speak of staying put as a mark of strength rather than constraint. —Magdalena Stawkowski, The Conversation, 8 Apr. 2026

Fars released a video on Friday purporting to show nomadic Bakhtiari tribesmen, rifles in hand, searching for the American crew member in the mountains of Iran’s Khuzestan province. —Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2026

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