Arctic Ocean

American  

[ahrk-tik oh-shuhn, ahr-tik] / ˈɑrk tɪk ˈoʊ ʃən, ˈɑr tɪk /

noun

1. the smallest of the world’s five principal oceans, located north of North America, Asia, and the Arctic Circle, with its deepest section within the Greenland Sea. 6,007,000 square miles (15,558,000 square kilometers).

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Arctic Ocean British  

noun

1. the ocean surrounding the North Pole, north of the Arctic Circle. Area: about 14 100 000 sq km (5 440 000 sq miles)

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Arctic Ocean Cultural  

1. The cold, ice-covered waters surrounding the North Pole, located entirely within the Arctic Circle. It contains the northernmost islands of Canada, Norway, and Russia.

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Discover More

Most of the Arctic Ocean is covered by solid ice, ice floes, and icebergs.

Etymology

Origin of Arctic Ocean

First recorded in 1780–90

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Arctic Ocean

A larger "warning zone" up to Norway's Jan Mayen islands in the Arctic Ocean would also be in place, with flights re-routed.

From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026

The Arctic Ocean also saw its second-lowest sea ice extent for the month of May.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026

Scientists say climate change is driving a major and potentially permanent transformation in the Arctic Ocean, disrupting the marine food chain from the bottom up.

From Science Daily ● May 28, 2026

Even the freezing cold Arctic Ocean teems with life.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026

No blue sea would be lapping the shores of Barrow; instead the Arctic Ocean would be a roaring white cauldron forming ice that would join the land with the polar cap.

From "Julie of the Wolves" by Jean Craighead George