Vagabond
noun / adjective /ˈvæɡ.ə.bɒnd/ — A person who wanders from place to place without a fixed home.
Definition
A person who wanders from place to place without a fixed home or job; a vagrant. Historically a legal category of people who moved without licence; now a term with a romantic association — the free wanderer, unclaimed by any place.
Beyond the definition
The vagabond refuses the domestication of the settled life. They carry freedom as their only possession. Whether this is liberation or loneliness depends on the day, and perhaps on the company.
Origin & history
Latin: 'vagabundus' (wandering). From 'vagari' (to wander). The same root as 'vague', 'vagrant', and 'extravagant' (wandering outside). Medieval law criminalised vagabondage; Romanticism rehabilitated it.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
He had lived as a vagabond for two years before settling — and missed it more than he expected.
The vagabond's life teaches you what you can do without, which turns out to be most of what you thought you needed.
She was a vagabond at heart, always making the room feel temporary no matter how long she stayed.
How to use it
Follow this entry’s examples for grammatical form and sentence placement.
Choose “Vagabond” when the meaning fits your context: A person who wanders from place to place without a fixed home or job; a vagrant. Historically a legal category of people who moved without licence; now a term with a romantic association — the free wanderer, unclaimed by any place.
Synonyms
wanderer, rover, nomad, drifter
Antonyms
settled, rooted, homebody
Related words
Vagabond vs nomad
A vagabond is someone who wanders, often associated with aimlessness or lack of a home. A nomad is part of a community that moves periodically to follow resources or tradition.
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Observing City Life as Entity
A person walks slowly through a rain-slicked city square at night, noticing details others miss, observing the city as a living, shifting entity.
The wanderer illustrates the vagabond, someone whose path is governed by observation rather than occupation. By moving through the square without haste or fixed goal, they exist as an unclaimed witness to the urban life around them, embodying the romantic ideal of the free, detached mover.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Vagabond" mean?
Vagabond is noun / adjective meaning: A person who wanders from place to place without a fixed home.. A person who wanders from place to place without a fixed home or job; a vagrant. Historically a legal category of people who moved without licence; now a term with a romantic association — the free wanderer, unclaimed by any place.
Where does the word "Vagabond" come from?
Latin: 'vagabundus' (wandering). From 'vagari' (to wander). The same root as 'vague', 'vagrant', and 'extravagant' (wandering outside). Medieval law criminalised vagabondage; Romanticism rehabilitated it.