antarctic

A1N1T1A1R1C3T1I1C3
UK/ænˈtɑːktɪk/UK/ænˈtɑː(k)tɪk/US/ænˈtɑɹ(k)tɪk/

adjective

Of, from, or pertaining to Antarctica and the south polar regions.

Similar
south-polarpolar
CommonFirst used 1651–1711Scrabble 13

Meanings

antarctic1

adjectiveantarctic (comparative more antarctic, superlative most antarctic)

comparative more antarctic · superlative most antarctic

  1. alternativeAlternative spelling of Antarctic.

Antarctic2

adjectiveAntarctic (comparative more Antarctic, superlative most Antarctic)

comparative more Antarctic · superlative most Antarctic · alternative antarctic

  1. Of, from, or pertaining to Antarctica and the south polar regions.

    Scientists have known for years that the Thwaites glacier is the soft underbelly of the Antarctic ice sheet, and first found that it was unstable decades ago.

    2014 May 12, Suzanne Goldenberg, “Western Antarctic ice sheet collapse has already begun, scientists warn”, in The Guardian
    1 more example

    We are likely to consider Antarctic English as an occupational variety of general English rather than a new regional variety, mainly because men go to work in the Antarctic for a period, intending to return. They are not settlers.

    1972, George William Turner, The English Language in Australia and New Zealand, Longman, →ISBN, page 67
  2. figurativelyobsoleteOpposite, contradictory.First known use 1651–1711
  3. obsoleteSouthern.
proper noun

alternative antarctic

  1. A continental region, one of the major ecozones of the world, covering the south polar regions, especially those south of the Antarctic Convergence; or, in accordance with the Antarctic Treaty System, the 60th parallel south.

    Meronyms: Antarctica, Antarctic Ocean, Southern Ocean (south-of-60° sense)

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveat or near the south pole

Similar
south-polarpolar

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekἀνταρκτικός
  2. Latinantarcticus
  3. Middle Frenchantartique
  4. Middle Englishantartik
  5. EnglishAntarctic

From Middle English antartik, antartyk, from Middle French antartique, from Latin antarcticus, from Ancient Greek ἀνταρκτικός (antarktikós), from ἀντί (antí, “opposite”) + ἀρκτικός (arktikós, “Arctic”) + -ικός (-ikós, “-ic”). By surface analysis, anti- + Arctic.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian антарктичен, Антарктика
  • антарктичен (antarktičen)pertaining to Antarctica
  • Антарктика (Antarktika)major ecozone
Catalan antàrtic
  • antàrticpertaining to Antarctica
Chinese Mandarin 南極 /南极, 南極 /南极
  • 南極 /南极 (Nánjí)pertaining to Antarctica
  • 南極 /南极 (nánjí)major ecozone
Czech antarktický
  • antarktickýpertaining to Antarctica
Danish antarktisk, Antarktis
  • antarktiskpertaining to Antarctica
  • Antarktismajor ecozone
Dutch Antarctisch, antarctisch
  • Antarctischpertaining to Antarctica
  • antarctischpertaining to Antarctica
Esperanto antarkta
  • antarktapertaining to Antarctica
Finnish antarktinen, etelänapa-
  • antarktinenpertaining to Antarctica
  • etelänapa-pertaining to Antarctica
  • Antarktismajor ecozone
French antarctique
  • antarctiquepertaining to Antarctica
German antarktisch, Antarktis
  • antarktischpertaining to Antarctica
  • Antarktismajor ecozone
Greek ανταρκτικός
  • ανταρκτικός (antarktikós)pertaining to Antarctica
Hindi अंटार्कटिक, अंटार्कटिक
  • अंटार्कटिक (aṇṭārkaṭik)pertaining to Antarctica
  • अंटार्कटिक (aṇṭārkaṭik)major ecozone
Hungarian Antarktisz, Déli-sarkvidék
  • Antarktiszmajor ecozone
  • Déli-sarkvidékmajor ecozone
Irish Antartach, An tAntartach
  • Antartachpertaining to Antarctica
  • An tAntartachmajor ecozone
Italian antartico
  • antarticopertaining to Antarctica
Japanese 南極, 南極
  • 南極 (Nankyoku)pertaining to Antarctica
  • 南極 (nankyoku)major ecozone
Korean 남극, 남극
  • 남극 (Namgeuk)pertaining to Antarctica
  • 남극 (namgeuk)major ecozone
Norwegian Antarktis
  • Antarktismajor ecozone
Norwegian Bokmål antarktisk
  • antarktiskpertaining to Antarctica
Polish antarktyczny, antarktydzki
  • antarktycznypertaining to Antarctica
  • antarktydzkipertaining to Antarctica
  • Antarktykamajor ecozone
Portuguese antártico, Antártico
  • antárticopertaining to Antarctica
  • Antárticomajor ecozone
Romanian antarctic
  • antarcticpertaining to Antarctica
Russian антаркти́ческий, Анта́рктика
  • антаркти́ческий (antarktíčeskij)pertaining to Antarctica
  • Анта́рктика (Antárktika)major ecozone
Spanish antártico
  • antárticopertaining to Antarctica
Swedish antarktisk
  • antarktiskpertaining to Antarctica
Tagalog Antartiko, Antartiko
  • Antartikopertaining to Antarctica
  • Antartikomajor ecozone
Ukrainian Анта́рктика
  • Анта́рктика (Antárktyka)major ecozone
Vietnamese châu Nam Cực, Nam Cực châu
  • châu Nam Cựcpertaining to Antarctica
  • Nam Cực châupertaining to Antarctica
Welsh Antarctig
  • Antarctigpertaining to Antarctica

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with antarctic

All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

antarctic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/antarctic

MLA

“antarctic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/antarctic. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “antarctic,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/antarctic.

Source: antarctic on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.