Meanings
proper nounthe Southern Ocean
- The portion of the World Ocean surrounding Antarctica, variously taken as the waters south of the Antarctic Circle, the waters south of 60° S, or the waters bounded by the Antarctic Convergence.
Synonyms: Antarctic Ocean, Austral Ocean, Great Southern Ocean, Southern Icy Ocean, South Polar Ocean, South-Polar Ocean, South Sea
Synonyms & antonyms
proper nounThe portion of the World Ocean surrounding Antarctica, variously taken as the waters south of the Antarctic Circle, the waters south of 60° S, or the waters bounded by the Antarctic Convergence.
Origin
Formally adopted by the International Hydrographic Bureau's Limits of Oceans and Seas in 1928. (Omitted from the current 3rd edition, but restored in the draft 4th edition awaiting ratification.) A proprialization from southern ocean.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans Suidelike Oseaan
- Suidelike Oseaanthe ocean surrounding Antarctica
Arabic اَلْمُحِيط اَلْمُتَجَمِّد اَلْجَنُوبِيّ, اَلْمُحِيط اَلْجَنُوبِيّ
- اَلْمُحِيط اَلْمُتَجَمِّد اَلْجَنُوبِيّ (al-muḥīṭ al-mutajammid al-janūbiyy)the ocean surrounding Antarctica
- اَلْمُحِيط اَلْجَنُوبِيّ (al-muḥīṭ al-janūbiyy)the ocean surrounding Antarctica
Basque Ozeano Australa
- Ozeano Australathe ocean surrounding Antarctica
Bengali দক্ষিণ মহাসাগর
- দক্ষিণ মহাসাগর (dokkhin mohaśagor)the ocean surrounding Antarctica
Bulgarian Ю́жен океа́н
- Ю́жен океа́н (Júžen okeán)the ocean surrounding Antarctica
Catalan Oceà Antàrtic
- Oceà Antàrticthe ocean surrounding Antarctica
Chinese Mandarin 南大洋, 南極洋 /南极洋
- 南大洋 (Nándàyáng)the ocean surrounding Antarctica
- 南極洋 /南极洋 (Nánjíyáng)the ocean surrounding Antarctica
- 南冰洋 (Nánbīngyáng)the ocean surrounding Antarctica
- 南極海 /南极海 (Nánjíhǎi)the ocean surrounding Antarctica
Czech Jižní oceán, Antarktický oceán
- Jižní oceánthe ocean surrounding Antarctica
- Antarktický oceánthe ocean surrounding Antarctica
Danish Sydlige Ishav, Sydhavet
- Sydlige Ishavthe ocean surrounding Antarctica
- Sydhavetthe ocean surrounding Antarctica
Dutch Zuidelijke IJszee, Antarctische Oceaan
- Zuidelijke IJszeethe ocean surrounding Antarctica
- Antarctische Oceaanthe ocean surrounding Antarctica
Esperanto Suda Oceano, Antarkta Oceano
- Suda Oceanothe ocean surrounding Antarctica
- Antarkta Oceanothe ocean surrounding Antarctica
Estonian Lõuna-Jäämeri
- Lõuna-Jäämerithe ocean surrounding Antarctica
Finnish Eteläinen jäämeri
- Eteläinen jäämerithe ocean surrounding Antarctica
French océan Austral, océan Antarctique
- océan Australthe ocean surrounding Antarctica
- océan Antarctiquethe ocean surrounding Antarctica
- océan glacial Antarctiquethe ocean surrounding Antarctica
German Südlicher Ozean, Antarktik
- Südlicher Ozeanthe ocean surrounding Antarctica
- Antarktikthe ocean surrounding Antarctica
- Südpolarmeerthe ocean surrounding Antarctica
Greek Νότιος Ωκεανός
- Νότιος Ωκεανός (Nótios Okeanós)the ocean surrounding Antarctica
Hebrew האוקיינוס הדרומי
- האוקיינוס הדרומיthe ocean surrounding Antarctica
Hindi दक्षिणध्रुवीय महासागर
- दक्षिणध्रुवीय महासागर (dakṣiṇadhruvīya mahāsāgar)the ocean surrounding Antarctica
Hungarian Déli-óceán
- Déli-óceánthe ocean surrounding Antarctica
Icelandic Suður-Íshaf
- Suður-Íshafthe ocean surrounding Antarctica
Indonesian Samudra Antartik
- Samudra Antartikthe ocean surrounding Antarctica
Irish An tAigéan Antartach
- An tAigéan Antartachthe ocean surrounding Antarctica
Japanese 南極海, 南大洋
- 南極海 (Nankyokukai)the ocean surrounding Antarctica
- 南大洋 (Nantaiyō)the ocean surrounding Antarctica
- 南氷洋 (Nanpyōyō)the ocean surrounding Antarctica
Korean 남극해, 남대양
- 남극해 (Namgeukhae)the ocean surrounding Antarctica
- 남대양 (Namdaeyang)the ocean surrounding Antarctica
Latvian Dienvidu okeāns, Antarktīdas okeāns
- Dienvidu okeānsthe ocean surrounding Antarctica
- Antarktīdas okeānsthe ocean surrounding Antarctica
Lithuanian Pietų vandenynas
- Pietų vandenynasthe ocean surrounding Antarctica
Malay Lautan Selatan
- Lautan Selatanthe ocean surrounding Antarctica
Māori Te Taihuka-a-Pia
- Te Taihuka-a-Piathe ocean surrounding Antarctica
Norwegian Bokmål Sørishavet
- Sørishavetthe ocean surrounding Antarctica
Persian اقیانوس منجمد جنوبی
- اقیانوس منجمد جنوبی (oqyânus-e monjamed-e janubi)the ocean surrounding Antarctica
Polish Ocean Południowy, Ocean Antarktyczny
- Ocean Południowythe ocean surrounding Antarctica
- Ocean Antarktycznythe ocean surrounding Antarctica
Portuguese Oceano Antártico
- Oceano Antárticothe ocean surrounding Antarctica
Punjabi ਦੱਖਣੀ ਮਹਾਂਸਾਗਰ
- ਦੱਖਣੀ ਮਹਾਂਸਾਗਰ (dakkhaṇī mahānsāgar)the ocean surrounding Antarctica
Romanian Oceanul Antarctic
- Oceanul Antarcticthe ocean surrounding Antarctica
Russian Ю́жный океа́н, Антаркти́ческий океа́н
- Ю́жный океа́н (Júžnyj okeán)the ocean surrounding Antarctica
- Антаркти́ческий океа́н (Antarktíčeskij okeán)the ocean surrounding Antarctica
- Анта́рктика (Antárktika)the ocean surrounding Antarctica
Scottish Gaelic An Cuan a Deas
- An Cuan a Deasthe ocean surrounding Antarctica
Slovak Južný oceán
- Južný oceánthe ocean surrounding Antarctica
Spanish océano Antártico, océano Austral
- océano Antárticothe ocean surrounding Antarctica
- océano Australthe ocean surrounding Antarctica
Swahili Bahari ya Kusini
- Bahari ya Kusinithe ocean surrounding Antarctica
Swedish Antarktiska oceanen, Södra oceanen
- Antarktiska oceanenthe ocean surrounding Antarctica
- Södra oceanenthe ocean surrounding Antarctica
- Södra ishavetthe ocean surrounding Antarctica
Tagalog Katimugang Karagatan
- Katimugang Karagatanthe ocean surrounding Antarctica
Tamil தென்முனைப் பெருங்கடல்
- தென்முனைப் பெருங்கடல் (teṉmuṉaip peruṅkaṭal)the ocean surrounding Antarctica
Thai มหาสมุทรใต้
- มหาสมุทรใต้ (máhăa sàmùt dtâi)the ocean surrounding Antarctica
Turkish Güney Okyanusu, Antarktika Okyanusu
- Güney Okyanusuthe ocean surrounding Antarctica
- Antarktika Okyanusuthe ocean surrounding Antarctica
Ukrainian Півде́нний океа́н
- Півде́нний океа́н (Pivdénnyj okeán)the ocean surrounding Antarctica
Urdu بحر منجمد جنوبی
- بحر منجمد جنوبی (bahr munjamid janūbī)the ocean surrounding Antarctica
Vietnamese Nam Đại Dương
- Nam Đại Dươngthe ocean surrounding Antarctica
Welsh Cefnfor y De
- Cefnfor y Dethe ocean surrounding Antarctica
Yiddish דרום אָקעאַן
- דרום אָקעאַן (dorem okean)the ocean surrounding Antarctica
Cite this entry
APA
Southern Ocean. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Southern%20Ocean
MLA
“Southern Ocean.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Southern%20Ocean. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Southern Ocean,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Southern%20Ocean.
Source: Southern Ocean on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.