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• Arctic
  Arctic

  adjective

  Sometimes arctic of, relating to, or located at or near the North Pole.
• arctic
  arctic

  adjective

  of or relating to the Arctic

Arctic

American  

[ahrk-tik, ahr-tik] / ˈɑrk tɪk, ˈɑr tɪk /

adjective

1. Sometimes arctic of, relating to, or located at or near the North Pole.

   the Arctic region.

2. Sometimes arctic coming from the North Pole or the Arctic region.

   an Arctic wind.

3. Often arctic suitable for use in the Arctic.

   Arctic boots.

4. Usually arctic characteristic of the extremely cold, snowy, windy weather north of the Arctic Circle; frigid; bleak.

   an arctic winter.

5. arctic, extremely cold in manner, atmosphere, etc..

   a look of arctic disdain.

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noun

1. the Arctic, the region lying north of the Arctic Circle or of the northernmost limit of tree growth; the polar area north of the timberline.

2. arctics, warm, waterproof overshoes.

arctic ¹ British  

/ ˈɑːktɪk /

adjective

1. of or relating to the Arctic

   arctic temperatures

2. informal cold; freezing

   the weather at Christmas was arctic

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noun

1. a high waterproof overshoe with buckles

2. (modifier) designed or suitable for conditions of extreme cold

   arctic clothing

Arctic ² British  

/ ˈɑːktɪk /

noun

1. the regions north of the Arctic Circle

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adjective

1. of or relating to the regions north of the Arctic Circle

Arctic Cultural  

1. Region in the northernmost area of the Earth, centered on the North Pole.

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Discover More

The weather of the Arctic is characterized by long, cold winters and short, cool summers.

The Arctic has been the object of much exploration by air, land, and sea. The shortest distance by plane between continents in the Northern Hemisphere is often over the Arctic.

Other Word Forms

• subarctic
  adjective
• arctically
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of Arctic

First recorded in 1350–1400; from Latin arcticus, from Greek arktikós “northern,” literally, “of the Bear,” equivalent to árkt(os), “bear” ( see Ursa Major) + -ikos -ic; replacing Middle English artik, from Middle French artique, from Latin

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Explanation

If the weatherman warns of arctic conditions, get out your thermal underwear, hats, and gloves. It's going to be cold. The word arctic describes frigid and inhospitable weather. The word arctic refers to the Arctic Circle — the North Pole and the land that surrounds it — which is the northernmost major circle of latitude on the Earth. When you think of the word arctic, imagine the weather at the North Pole, cold and windy, suitable only for hearty animals and mythical toy-making elves. Bundle up for the arctic blast heading down from Canada towards the U.S.!

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Arctic arctic

This differs from the Arctic, where an ocean basin is enclosed by surrounding land.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026

These records stood in stark contrast to conditions at the opposite pole, where Arctic sea ice was undergoing a steep decline.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026

One example is the Arctic Oscillation, a pattern of atmospheric circulation that affects temperatures, winds, and ice conditions across the region.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 15, 2026

Looking ahead, scientists project that the Arctic Ocean could become essentially free of sea ice during the summer at least once before the middle of the 21st century.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 15, 2026

The Arctic is mostly water—with ice on top, of course—and that ice is never more than a few feet thick.

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

Buoyed by a youthful sense of invincibility, they dared one another to leap, waiting for another to move, like emperor penguin chicks before a first arctic plunge.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026

Dips in the jet stream will allow arctic air to spread across the UK by the end of the UK.

From BBC ● Mar. 9, 2026

It was also the biggest one-week percentage jump on record, driven by an arctic blast that brought dangerous cold, heavy snow and ice and disrupted travel in much of the central and eastern U.S..

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 26, 2026

Meteorologists warn that the mix of ice, heavy snow, and arctic air is unusually widespread.

From Salon ● Jan. 24, 2026

We stepped outside the airport to go to the car, and the arctic wind stopped us.

From "How Dare the Sun Rise" by Sandra Uwiringiyimana

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