antarctic
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.relating to the area around the South Pole, which is the coldest part of the world.
adj.pertaining to Antarctica and the south polar regions, specifically the area south of the Antarctic Circle.
Simple“Scientists are studying the Antarctic ice to learn about the Earth's history.”
In context“The Antarctic expedition faced extreme weather conditions that delayed their arrival at the research station by several weeks.”
UsageUsually capitalised in modern usage.
Synonymssouth polarAntonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the region around the South Pole, including the continent of Antarctica.
n.the geographic region surrounding the South Pole, defined by the Antarctic Convergence or the 60th parallel south.
Simple“Many unique species of penguins live only in the Antarctic.”
In context“The treaty ensures that the Antarctic remains a zone for peaceful scientific cooperation rather than territorial dispute.”
UsageAlways capitalised and usually preceded by 'the'.
SynonymsantarcticaAntonymsthe arctic
“A ten-month Antarctic experiment found that astronauts may struggle not only with loneliness but also with spending too much time around the same people.”
“From the size of this tail bone, the scientists estimate the Antarctic Titanosaur was about 23ft (7m) in length.”
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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.