What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
vagrant
Example
The city has many vagrants who sleep in the park. [vagrant: noun]
Example
He became a vagrant after losing his job and home. [vagrant: adjective]
nomad
Example
The nomads traveled across the desert with their camels. [nomads: noun]
Example
She lived a nomadic life, moving from country to country every few months. [nomadic: adjective]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Vagrant is a more common word than nomad in everyday language, as it is often used to describe homeless people in urban areas. Nomad is less common but is still used in various contexts, such as travel and cultural studies.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between vagrant and nomad?
Both vagrant and nomad are informal words, but nomad can be used in more formal contexts, such as academic writing or cultural studies.