# Arctic

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈɑː(k)tɪk/ · frequency rank #6,761

## Definitions
1. Pertaining to the celestial north pole, or to the pole star.
2. Pertaining to the northern polar region of the planet, characterised by extreme cold and an icy landscape.
3. Extremely cold, snowy, or having other properties of extreme winter associated with the Arctic.
4. Designed for use in very cold conditions.

## Etymology
From Middle English artik, artyk (with -c- reintroduced after Latin in the 17th century), from Medieval Latin articus, from Latin arcticus, from Ancient Greek ἀρκτικός (arktikós, “northern, of the (Great) Bear”), from ἄρκτος (árktos, “bear, Ursa Major”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ŕ̥tḱos (“bear”). Cognate with Latin ursus.

## Easily confused with
- **attic** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/arctic-vs-attic)
- **Artie** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/arctic-vs-artie)
- **ascetic** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/arctic-vs-ascetic)
- **actin** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/actin-vs-arctic)
- **Arabic** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/arabic-vs-arctic)
- **Archie** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/archie-vs-arctic)
- **aortic** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/aortic-vs-arctic)
- **acetic** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/acetic-vs-arctic)
- **archaic** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/archaic-vs-arctic)

## Common misspellings (9)
`acrtic`, `arcctic`, `arcitc`, `arctci`, `arcticc`, `arcttic`, `arrctic`, `artcic`, `ractic`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/arctic