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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

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

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

But no one is proposing to pave the Arctic.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026

A South Korean container ship returned on Sunday from a trial voyage through the Arctic, testing an alternative route opened by melting sea ice as conflict in the Middle East disrupts global shipping.

From Barron's ● Oct. 11, 2026

During an Arctic freeze last January, a third of the region’s power came from oil.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

That adventure led to dog-sledging through the Arctic, scuba diving, and multiple high summit climbs.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

They’d come from the north, cutting over the Arctic, taking the shortest route to American cities.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

With grandma’s nest egg and mom and dad’s retirement tied up in a young couple’s first home, even a slight chill in property valuations causes an arctic frost on consumer sentiment.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

The suspected culprit behind this loss is precisely what most would guess – warming seas, melting arctic ice and a decrease in prey availability.

From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026

It showed penguins, fur seals and polar bears attempting to adapt to their ever-changing surroundings, against the backdrop of glaciers and arctic volcanoes.

From BBC ● May 8, 2026

In the area with cold plunging and a sauna, the walls undulate with patterns that change color, designed to evoke arctic caves and volcanic rock.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 18, 2026

She spends hours kneeling by herself on the sixth floor with the window open and the sea hurling arctic air into the room, her fingers on the model of Saint-Malo slowly going numb.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr