Arctic Circle

American  

noun

1. an imaginary line drawn parallel to the equator, at 23°28prime; S of the North Pole: between the North Frigid Zone and the North Temperate Zone.

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Arctic Circle British  

noun

1. the imaginary circle round the earth, parallel to the equator, at latitude 66° 32′ N; it marks the northernmost point at which the sun appears above the level of the horizon on the winter solstice

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Arctic Circle Scientific  

/ ärk′tĭk /

1. The parallel of latitude approximately 66°33′ north. It forms the boundary between the North Temperate and North Frigid zones.

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Arctic Circle Cultural  

1. Imaginary circle around the Earth about three-quarters of the way from the equator to the North Pole. North of this line is the “Land of the Midnight Sun,” where the sun never sets on the summer solstice.

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Discover More

The Arctic Circle corresponds to the Antarctic Circle in the Southern Hemisphere.

Example Sentences

While the Northern Lights are mostly visible near the Arctic Circle and northern Scotland, following a strong storm they were visible as far south as Norfolk on Friday night.

From BBC • Mar. 21, 2026

On a remote island 300 kilometres above the Arctic Circle, Norway's Andøya Spaceport, is now the frontrunner.

From BBC • Feb. 23, 2026

The mayor of the Norwegian town of Longyearbyen—around four hours from Barentsburg by snowmobile—swept his hand over a map of the Arctic Circle on a recent morning.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 21, 2026

Significant groupings appear beneath the Himalayas in southern Asia and near the Bering Strait between Asia and North America, south of the Arctic Circle.

From Science Daily • Feb. 20, 2026

The very top of the Arctic Circle, near the North Pole.

From "Between Shades of Gray" by Ruta Sepetys