arctic

arctic — noun

1. the freezing region of ocean and ice that surrounds the North Pole, including pa

1.nounB2
Definition

the freezing region of ocean and ice that surrounds the North Pole, including parts of northern Canada, Russia, Greenland, and Norway.

Example

Polar bears, walruses, and seals all live in the Arctic.

always capitalised and used with 'the'

Zara joined a research ship that sailed deep into the Arctic last summer.

Common collocations
  • in the Arctic
  • across the Arctic
  • the Arctic Circle
  • the Arctic Ocean
Synonyms
  • the North

    informal, often refers to the same region but less precise

  • the polar north

    descriptive phrase rather than a true synonym

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

the Arctic

Usage Note

Always written with a capital A and used with 'the'. Refers to the geographical region, not just the pole itself.

Common Mistakes

We sailed to arctic last week.
We sailed to the Arctic last week.
the noun needs both 'the' and a capital A.

arctic — adjective

Word family

  • antarctic
    adjectiveB2
  • subarctic
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/2

All five words describe very cold conditions, but they differ in tone and typical use. 'Freezing' is the everyday neutral choice ("It's freezing in here") and works for almost anything cold. 'Bitter' focuses on cold that hurts the skin and pairs strongly with 'wind' or 'cold' itself. 'Frigid' is more formal, often appearing in news reports or weather forecasts ('frigid temperatures across the Midwest'), and can also describe an unfriendly manner. 'Icy' suggests literal ice or a sharp, slippery cold, and is the only one that easily describes a road or a stare. 'Arctic' is the most dramatic and visual: it makes the listener picture polar weather. Compare 'a freezing morning' (just very cold) with 'an arctic morning' (cold enough to feel like the North Pole).

arctic ↗freezing ↗bitter ↗frigidicy ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • Arctic Circle
  • Arctic Ocean
  • Arctic fox
  • arctic wind
  • arctic blast

Adverbs

  • bitterly arctic
  • almost arctic

Phrases

  • the high Arctic
  • an arctic chill

Prepositions

  • in the Arctic
  • across the Arctic
  • from the Arctic

Etymology

GreekLatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word came into English in the late 1300s from Old French 'artique', which itself came from Latin 'arcticus' and earlier Greek 'arktikos', meaning 'of the bear'. The reference is to the constellations of the Great Bear and Little Bear, which sit close to the northern sky and helped sailors locate the north. The 'c' before the 't' was added later to match the Latin spelling.