Antarctica

American  

[ant-ahrk-ti-kuh, -ahr-ti-] / æntˈɑrk tɪ kə, -ˈɑr tɪ- /

noun

1. the continent surrounding the South Pole: almost entirely covered by an ice sheet. About 5,000,000 sq. mi. (12,950,000 sq. km).

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Antarctica British  

/ æntˈɑːktɪkə /

noun

1. a continent around the South Pole: consists of an ice-covered plateau, 1800–3000 m (6000 ft to 10 000 ft) above sea level, and mountain ranges rising to 4500 m (15 000 ft) with some volcanic peaks; average temperatures all below freezing and human settlement is confined to research stations. All political claims to the mainland are suspended under the Antarctic Treaty of 1959

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Antarctica Cultural  

1. Continent surrounding the South Pole, located almost entirely within the Antarctic Circle. It is covered by an ice cap up to thirteen thousand feet thick.

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Antarctica is characterized by extremely low temperatures.

In 1911, Roald Amundsen became the first explorer to reach the South Pole, followed shortly thereafter by Robert Scott.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Antarctica

An Australian aviation crew has carried out a daring midwinter mission to rescue a US expedition member from a station in Antarctica in freezing temperatures and total darkness.

From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026

Lucie Green went all the way to Antarctica in 2021, only to be thwarted by that common enemy of eclipse chasers: clouds.

From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026

The standard explanation is that marsupials reached Australia after traveling from South America through Antarctica, before the ancient supercontinent Gondwana split apart.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 19, 2026

There, fierce winds blow almost continuously around Antarctica, drawing deeper water up from below.

From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026

As the nineteenth century ran out, more and more of the continent was mapped and described by navigators from around the world—although Antarctica claimed many ships as payment.

From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong