antarctic

adjective

ant·​arc·​tic (ˌ)ant-ˈärk-tik  -ˈär-tik 

variants often Antarctic

: of or relating to the South Pole or to the region near it

Examples of antarctic in a Sentence

The group is involved in Antarctic exploration.

Recent Examples on the Web

Halzen had the idea to turn the vast Antarctic ice into such a detector. — Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2026

The professor, who is based at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, first presented plans for the IceCube Neutrino Observatory in 1988, envisioning a vast network of sensors in Antarctic ice that could capture neutrinos. — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026

Halzen’s idea to use Antarctic ice as a giant detector helped create the IceCube observatory, which has captured high-energy neutrinos from distant galaxies and opened a new form of astronomy. — Kostya Manenkov, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026

An international project called the Ice Sheet Model Intercomparison Project, or ISMIP6, has built a large archive of Antarctic simulations showing how the ice responds under different circumstances. — Robert Kopp, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English antartik, from Latin antarcticus, from Greek antarktikos, from anti- + arktikos arctic

First Known Use

1594, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing antarctic

• antarctic circle

Rhymes for antarctic

• holarctic
• subarctic
• arctic
• palaearctic
• palearctic
• subantarctic

Kids Definition

antarctic

adjective

ant·​arc·​tic (ˈ)ant-ˈärk-tik  -ˈärt-ik 

often capitalized

: of or relating to the South Pole or to the region near it