arcticization
|arc-tic-i-za-tion|
🇺🇸
/ˌɑɹk.tɪ.səˈzeɪ.ʃən/
🇬🇧
/ˌɑːk.tɪ.sɪˈzeɪ.ʃən/
becoming Arctic; acquiring Arctic characteristics
Etymology
'arcticization' originates from Modern English, specifically combining the adjective 'arctic' and the suffix '-ization' (via the verb 'arcticize'), where 'arctic' ultimately comes from Greek 'arktikos' and 'arktos' meaning 'bear'.
'arctic' entered English via Latin and French from the Greek word 'arktikos' (from 'arktos' = 'bear'); the productive English suffix '-ization' (from French/Latinization of verbs ending in '-ize' plus '-ation') was added to form 'arcticize' and then 'arcticization'.
Initially the root referred to the region 'of the bear' (the constellations/area near Ursa Major), and over time it came to mean 'relating to the far north/Arctic region'; 'arcticization' has come to mean the process or result of acquiring Arctic characteristics.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the process or state of becoming characteristic of the Arctic region; the spread or intensification of Arctic conditions (e.g., very cold temperatures, ice cover) in a region.
Researchers warned that the arcticization of the northern coastlines could change local ecosystems.
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Noun 2
the act of making something 'Arctic' in character or appearance — for example, engineering, designing, or treating an environment, object, or system so that it resembles or behaves like Arctic conditions.
The museum used white lighting and ice-like props to achieve an arcticization of the exhibit space.
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Last updated: 2026/01/14 21:57