English Reference

Word

nomadic

Phoneticsno·madic

US/noʊˈmædɪk/

UK/nəʊmˈædɪk/

Definitions

01moving from place to place

B2

adj. living a life where you move from one place to another to find food or water for animals.

adj. relating to or characteristic of people who have no fixed residence but move seasonally within a defined territory.

“The nomadic tribes moved their tents across the desert to find fresh water.”

“Anthropologists have long studied how nomadic societies manage resources across vast, arid landscapes without establishing permanent settlements.”

Usage

Often used to describe historical tribes or specific cultural groups.

Antonyms

02frequently traveling

B2

adj. describing a modern person who travels often and does not stay in one city for long.

adj. used figuratively to describe a lifestyle of frequent travel or lack of a permanent home base, often by choice.

“She lived a nomadic life for two years, working from her laptop in different countries.”

“The rise of remote work has enabled a new generation of nomadic professionals who move between global cities every few months.”

Usage

Commonly appears in the phrase 'digital nomadic' or 'nomadic lifestyle'.

Synonyms

rootlessroving

Antonyms

Real-World Examples

“A nomadic people, they often travel to other villages within the forest, visiting family and exchanging information.”
e360.yale.edu · 14 Mar 2023

Etymology

From Ancient Greek νομαδικός (nomadikós), equivalent to nomad (“a member of a society or class of herdsmen”) + -ic (forming adjectives).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Domain

Anthropology

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

Scan code

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English Reference