What does "viking" mean?
Scandinavian/Northern European seafarers, most familiarly raiders and pirates during the Viking age.
Viking
/ˈvaɪkɪŋ/ name, noun, slang
name, noun, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Scandinavian/Northern European seafarers, most familiarly raiders and pirates during the Viking age.
- Grammar: viking is listed as name, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: ab, able seaman, able-bodied seaman, air pirate.
- Useful contrasts: farmer, non Viking, nonviking.
- Usage evidence: In Viking times, Greenland was greener than today.
How to use "viking"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "viking" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "viking" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "viking" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "viking" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "viking" is acting as name, noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "ab" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "viking", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Scandinavian/Northern European seafarers, most familiarly raiders and pirates during the Viking age. historical
"Henchmen had placed, as was their habit, each warrior's gear and trappings above his pile of skins. Thus you could see the burnished helmet of each warrior set in readiness above his head. It was the Viking habit."
- 2 Alternative letter-case form of Viking. alt-of
- 3 any of the Scandinavian people who raided the coasts of Europe from the 8th to the 11th centuries wordnet
- 4 A stock character common in the fantasy genre, namely a barbarian, generally equipped with an axe or sword and a helmet adorned with horns. broadly
- 5 A Norseman (medieval Scandinavian). colloquial
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 An ethnic Swede, Norwegian, Dane, Icelander or Faroe Islander. colloquial, humorous, mildly, offensive
- 7 A player on the Minnesota Vikings NFL team.
- 8 buffet; smorgasbord Japan
Proper Noun
- 1 A sea area between Scotland and Norway
- 2 A town in Alberta, Canada.
- 3 A city in Minnesota.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"In Viking times, Greenland was greener than today."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "viking"?
Common synonyms include: ab, able seaman, able-bodied seaman, air pirate, airplane hijacker, ancient mariner.
How do you use "viking" in a sentence?
In Viking times, Greenland was greener than today.
How do you pronounce "viking"?
Pronounced /ˈvaɪkɪŋ/.
Etymology
Borrowed from Old Norse víkingr (“Viking”). Already in Old English as wīċing and Old Frisian wītsing, but assumed extinct in Middle English and borrowed anew in the 19th century; any survivals in dialect through the Middle Ages are unknown. Old Norse víkingr itself is from Old Norse vík (“inlet, cove, fjord”) + -ingr (“one belonging to, one who frequents”) (the -r is the nominative desinence). Thus, “one from or who frequents the sea’s inlets”. The Old English and Anglo-Frisian form, existing since at least the eighth century, could also have been derived from or influenced by Old English wīc (“camp”), on account of the temporary encampments which were often a prominent feature of the Vikings’ raids. Others proposals were made, like e.g. deriving víkingr from the root related to the verb víkja or deriving both English and Old Norse words to *wīkingaz related to víkja or wīc.