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

Dr Mark Evans, the collections manager at BAS, recently spotted the fossil amongst thousands of specimens brought back from expeditions to Antarctica over the decades.

From BBC • Jun. 29, 2026

The long-forgotten fossil now holds an important place in the history of exploration in Antarctica.

From BBC • Jun. 29, 2026

These kinds of yeast only live in very cold conditions such as Antarctica, so are believed to have entered Oetzi's body at some point after he died.

From Barron's • Jun. 3, 2026

Today, Antarctica contains the largest mass of ice on the planet and plays a major role in regulating global sea levels.

From Science Daily • May 29, 2026

Even without such support, however, Shackleton had to go to Antarctica again, because the continent pulled him like a magnet.

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