Antarctic

American  

[ant-ahrk-tik, -ahr-tik] / æntˈɑrk tɪk, -ˈɑr tɪk /

adjective

1. Sometimes antarctic of, at, or near the South Pole.

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noun

1. the Antarctic, the continent of Antarctica along with the Southern Ocean.

Antarctic British  

/ æntˈɑːktɪk /

noun

1. Antarctica and the surrounding waters

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adjective

1. of or relating to the south polar regions

Antarctic Cultural  

1. The region around the South Pole, Antarctica, and the surrounding ocean.

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Etymology

Origin of Antarctic

First recorded in 1325–75; from Latin antarcticus, from Greek antarktikós; replacing Middle English antartik or directly from Middle French, from Medieval Latin antarticus; see ant-, Arctic

Example Sentences

"It's concerning, because this warm water can flow beneath Antarctic ice shelves, melting them from below and destabilizing them," said Joshua Lanham, lead author of the study at Cambridge Earth Sciences.

From Science Daily • Apr. 30, 2026

Going forward, Stassun said he expected the Trump administration to pursue a narrower agenda, from investments in artificial intelligence to building a fleet of Antarctic vessels.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2026

In 1981, a chance meeting with Attenborough led to Allan working on the documentary series Living Planet, part of which was filmed in the Antarctic.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

Some will argue that any new claim violates the spirit of the Antarctic Treaty.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

Conversely, finding life in Antarctic dry valleys would correspondingly improve, he thought, the chances of life on Mars.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

Related Words

• chilly
• freezing
• frosty
• frozen
• glacial
• ice-cold
• icy
• wintry