Digital Nomad Glossary
Every digital nomad term, phrase, or expression explained.
A
Adventurepreneur
As a mix of the words "adventure" and "entrepreneur", adventurepreneur refers to entrepreneurs operating their businesses while traveling around the world.
Asynchronous Communication
Asynchronous Communication is a communication style that does not require immediate response or presence. This allows digital nomad team members in different time zones to collaborate effectively.
B
Bleisure
Bleisure is a blend of business and leisure travel, combining work trips with sightseeing and exploration.
Boundaryless Work
Boundaryless work is a notion of work that is not limited to the confines of a traditional office environment.
Bootstrapping
Bootstrapping means starting and growing a company with personal savings or little cash from first sales.
Business Traveler
A business traveler is an individual who travels for professional or business purposes.
C
Co-living Space
A co-living space is a modern form of communal living where people with shared interests, intentions, and values cohabit in a space and share amenities.
Co-working Space
Co-working space is a shared workspace where individuals, often not employed by the same organization, can work independently or collaboratively.
Couplepreneurs
Couplepreneurs refers to couples who have decided to run a business together. This term is relevant in the digital nomad community, as there are many couples who travel and run their businesses together.
Coworkation
Coworkation is a combination of co-working and vacation, where digital nomads travel to a destination to work in a shared space with other digital nomads.
D
Digital Detox
Digital detox is a period during which an individual refrains from using tech devices such as smartphones, computers, or social media platforms.
Digital Economy
The digital economy is an economic environment based on digital computing technologies, mediated by the internet, and the people who use these technologies for their livelihood.
Digital Migrant
A digital migrant is someone who moves from one country to another for work, using technology to perform their job.
Digital Nomad
A digital nomad is a person who uses telecommunications technologies to earn a living and conduct their life in a nomadic manner.
Digital Nomad Visa
A Digital Nomad Visa is a type of visa aimed specifically at digital nomads, remote workers, and location-independent entrepreneurs, allowing them to work legally while residing in the issuing country.
Digital Nomad Retreat
Digital nomad retreats are organized trips for digital nomads to meet and collaborate in person, often in a leisurely setting.
Distributed Team
A distributed team is a professional team that works remotely from different locations.
E
Expatriate (Expat)
An expatriate (or expat) is someone who lives outside their native country, often for work purposes.
E-Residency
E-Residency refers to the state of being an electronic resident of a country, a concept initiated by Estonia, which allows global citizens to start and manage a business online.
Ergonomics
Ergonomics is the study of people's efficiency in their working environment. Digital nomads have to be mindful of ergonomics, especially when working from non-traditional workplaces.
F
FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early)
The FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) is a movement dedicated to a program of extreme savings and investments that allows proponents to retire far earlier than traditional budgets and retirement plans would allow. This concept aligns with the freedom and flexibility values of digital nomads.
FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)
FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) refers to the feeling that others are having more fun, living better lives, or experiencing better things than you are. It can sometimes be a driving force for people to become digital nomads.
Freelancer
A freelancer is a self-employed individual who offers services, usually to businesses and often to multiple clients at a time.
Fully Remote Company
A fully remote company is an organization with no central office, and all employees work remotely.
G
Geo-arbitrage
Geo-arbitrage is the practice of taking advantage of the difference in costs between various geographical locations, often used by digital nomads to maximize their income's value.
Gig Economy
The Gig Economy is an economic environment in which temporary, flexible jobs are commonplace, and companies hire independent contractors and freelancers instead of full-time employees.
H
Hackerspace
Hackerspace is a community-operated physical place, where people can meet and work on their projects. Some digital nomads may opt to work in these creative, collaborative environments.
Hot Desking
Hot desking is an office organization system involving multiple workers using a single physical workstation or desk during different periods.
I
Internet Reliability
Internet reliability is an essential factor for digital nomads in determining travel destinations since their work often depends on having a strong, reliable internet connection.
J
Job Crafting
Job Crafting is a process where employees reconfigure their own job designs in ways that can foster job satisfaction, engagement, resilience, and thriving. This approach is often facilitated by remote work, where individuals have greater autonomy and control over their work environments.
Job Sharing
Job sharing is an employment arrangement where typically two people are retained on a part-time or reduced-time basis to perform a job normally fulfilled by one person working full-time.
JOMO (Joy of Missing Out)
JOMO (Joy of Missing Out) refers to the pleasure of taking a break from social activities and being content with staying in and disconnecting. This can be important for digital nomads who need downtime to recharge.
K
Knowledge Economy
The Knowledge Economy is an economic environment in which growth is dependent on the quantity, quality, and accessibility of the information available, rather than the means of production.
Knowledge Worker
A knowledge worker is an individual whose main capital is knowledge (engineers, doctors, architects, scientists, programmers, etc). Many digital nomads fall into this category, as their work can often be done from anywhere with an internet connection.
L
Laptop Lifestyle
The laptop lifestyle refers to a way of living that allows the ability to work anywhere with a laptop and internet connection.
Lifestyle Design
Lifestyle design means choosing a lifestyle to better fit one's goals and desires. This is often associated with Tim Ferriss's "The 4-Hour Workweek" book.
Location Independent
Location independent refers to a career that allows professionals to work out of coffee shops, co-working spaces, or wherever they feel most productive, irrespective of their geographical location.
M
Mobile Workforce
A mobile workforce refers to workers not tied to a specific physical location and can fulfill their duties from any location.
Mobile Office
A mobile office is a work environment that can be easily moved and set up in various locations, often simply a laptop, phone, and internet connection.
MOJO (Mobile Journalist)
A MOJO (Mobile Journalist) is a journalist who uses lightweight, often mobile devices, to research, record, compile, and share stories. This concept aligns well with digital nomads who are involved in content creation or journalism.
N
Nomad Base
A nomad base is a place where digital nomads live and work, usually temporarily. These places offer facilities needed for digital work and a community of like-minded people.
Nomad Insurance
A nomad insurance is a specialized insurance for digital nomads that typically covers health, travel, and equipment.
Nomadic Lifestyle
A nomadic lifestyle is a way of life in which individuals move from one place to another, rather than living in one place. This is a trend among some remote workers.
O
Offshoring
Offshoring is the practice of basing some of a company's processes or services overseas to take advantage of lower costs.
Outsourcing
Outsourcing is the business practice of hiring a party outside a company to perform services and create goods traditionally performed in-house by the company's employees and staff.
P
Passive Income
Passive income refers to earnings derived from a rental property, limited partnership, or other enterprise in which a person is not actively involved. As such income is often location-independent, many digital nomads cultivate passive income streams to support their lifestyles.
Perpetual Traveler (PT)
A Perpetual Traveler (PT) is a person who resides in multiple countries throughout the year to minimize tax liability or for lifestyle reasons.
Pivot
In the context of business, a pivot usually means to shift to a new business strategy. Digital nomads, who often run their own businesses or freelance remotely, may have to pivot based on changing market conditions or personal circumstances to be able to maintain their nomadic lifestyle.
Q
Quality of Life
Quality of life is referred to the standard of health, comfort, and happiness experienced by an individual or group. Many people choose remote work because they believe it can improve their quality of life, offering greater flexibility and work-life balance.
Quantified Self
Quantified Self is a movement that aims to incorporate technology into data acquisition on aspects of a person's daily life. Digital nomads often use self-tracking systems and personal analytics to optimize their health, productivity, and overall lifestyle.
Quarter-Life Crisis
A quarter-life crisis is a period of uncertainty and questioning that typically occurs when individuals feel they're not achieving their full potential or are lost in their life path. This can often be a trigger for some to adopt the digital nomad lifestyle.
R
Residency Permit
A residency permit is a document or card required in some regions, allowing a foreign national to reside in a country for a certain length of time. This is important for digital nomads planning to stay in one location for an extended period.
Remote Work
Remote Work is a work arrangement in which employees do not commute to a central place of work. Instead, they work outside of a traditional office environment.
Resilience
In a digital nomad context, resilience often refers to the ability to handle remote work difficulties, communication barriers, and other challenges that can arise when living abroad and working remotely.
Roam
Roam refers to the act of moving around from place to place without a fixed home.
S
Sabbatical
A sabbatical is a prolonged hiatus in an individual's career, typically one year. Some use this time to travel as a digital nomads.
Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI)
Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) is a concept in the digital movement that only you should own your identity – that is, you should be the one to control your personal data and privacy.
Slow Travel
Slow Travel is a style of tourism and travel that emphasizes connection to local people, cultures, food, and music, often over the course of several weeks or months.
Solopreneur
A solopreneur is an entrepreneur who works alone ("solo") running their business single-handedly. They might have contractors for hire, yet have full responsibility for running their business. This is relevant to digital nomadism because many solopreneurs decide to become digital nomads.
Solo Travel
Solo Travel means traveling alone to various destinations. It's a common practice among digital nomads.
Synchronous Communication
Synchronous communication is a real-time communication type that happens instantly. Some examples are video calls or instant messaging.
T
Telecommuting
Telecommuting means working from a location other than a traditional office, often from home, by using modern technology and telecommunications to remain connected.
Telepresence
Telepresence is a set of technologies that allow a person to feel as if they were present, to give the appearance of being present, or to have an effect, via telerobotics, at a place other than their true location.
Temporary Worker
A temporary worker is a professional hired for a finite period. Many digital nomads start their journey working temporary jobs.
Time Zone Independence
Time zone independence is the ability to work at any time of day, irrespective of the traditional 9-5 schedule, which often requires synchronizing with colleagues in different time zones.
Travel Hacking
Travel hacking is the art of collecting frequent flyer miles and points to travel for free or cheap. This is a common strategy used by digital nomads to minimize travel costs.
U
Uberisation
Uberisation is the conversion of existing jobs and services into discrete tasks that can be requested on demand. It's an increasingly common practice in the gig economy. Digital nomads often take advantage of such opportunities.
Ubiquitous Computing (UbiComp)
Ubiquitous Computing (UbiComp) is a concept in software engineering and computer science where computing is made to appear everywhere and anywhere, enabling individuals to carry out tasks and work from any location.
Unplugging
Unplugging is the practice of taking a break from devices and the internet, often used by digital nomads to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
V
Vagabonding
Vagabonding is the act of continuous or long-term travel. Digital nomads often live a vagabonding lifestyle.
Vanlife
Vanlife is a lifestyle revolving around living and/or traveling in a van, popular within the digital nomad community.
Virtual Office
A virtual office is a work environment where employees operate remotely from their homes or other locations, but communication and collaboration are maintained through various forms of technology.
Visa Run
A visa run refers to the act of leaving a country to reset the visa or permit duration. It's a common practice among digital nomads to legally extend their stay in a country.
VPN (Virtual Private Network)
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a tool used to create a secure network connection over a public network, often used by digital nomads to save money on flights, connect in public spaces like cafes, and stream content from the country they wish.
W
Wanderlust
Wanderlust refers to a strong desire to travel and explore the world. Many digital nomads are motivated by wanderlust.
Wi-Fi Tribe
A Wi-Fi tribe is a community of digital nomads who choose to live, work, and travel together. They're location-independent professionals who believe in a sustainable balance of work and play.
Workation
Workation is a combination of work and vacation, where individuals continue working while traveling and exploring new locations.
Work From Anywhere (WFA)
Work From Anywhere (WFA) is a policy that allows employees to work from any location they choose, whether it's their home, a coffee shop, or a different country.
Work-Life Balance
Work-Life Balance refers to the equilibrium between personal life and career work. It's often a major consideration for digital nomads.
X
Xenial
Xenial is an adjective that describes friendly relations between host and guest. It's relevant to digital nomads as they often rely on the hospitality of their hosts around the world.
Xenodochial
Xenodochial is a term meaning hospitable or friendly to strangers. It's often used in the context of cultures, places, or people.
Y
Yachties
Yachties are people who work on yachts. Some digital nomads may choose this lifestyle, working remotely while traveling on a yacht.
Year-Round Travel
Year-round travel refers to continuous travel throughout the year, often associated with the lifestyle of a digital nomad.
YOLO (You Only Live Once)
YOLO (You Only Live Once) is a phrase often associated with living life to the fullest. It's sometimes used to justify the digital nomad lifestyle, as individuals choose to explore and experience the world while working.
YOYO (You're On Your Own)
YOYO (You're On Your Own) is a term often used to describe the self-reliant nature of the digital nomad lifestyle.
Z
Zone Busting
Zone busting is a term used to describe the act of breaking free from traditional societal norms or geographical boundaries. It can refer to digital nomads' tendency to work across different time zones and places.
Zone Hopping
Zone hopping is the act of moving from one time zone to another, often used by digital nomads to manage their work schedules or enjoy different climates.
Let us know if we missed any digital nomad terms!
Did You Learn Any New Digital Nomad Terms?
If you want more digital nomad resources like these, sign up for our free newsletter and get upcoming articles straight to your inbox!
Make sure to sign up for our digital nomad forum to get in touch with other members of our growing digital nomad community!
Travel tips, hacks, and news
Exclusive travel discounts
Offers and promotions
Digital nomad inspiration
Latest articles form our blog