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Antarctic

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

adjective

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

noun

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

Antarctic British  
/ æntˈɑːktɪk /

noun

  1. Antarctica and the surrounding waters

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. of or relating to the south polar regions

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Antarctic Cultural  

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

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; ant-, Arctic

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets have both lost considerable mass, and the annual average extent of Arctic sea ice in 2025 was the lowest or second-lowest ever recorded in the satellite era.

From Barron's • Mar. 23, 2026

Goodison-Blanks said there were collectors "worldwide" who enjoyed these sorts of pieces from expeditions relating to the Arctic, Antarctic and in particular Mount Everest.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

The scientists mapped the Antarctic gravity hole and reconstructed how it evolved over millions of years.

From Science Daily • Mar. 7, 2026

They migrate thousands of kilometres to find stable sea ice during Antarctic summer to wait out what is called a "catastrophic moult" every year.

From BBC • Feb. 25, 2026

Sadly, after surviving their ordeal in the Antarctic, several of them were killed in action, among them McCarthy and Cheetham, two of the most cheerful and well-liked members of the whole group.

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

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.