boreal

adjective

bo·​re·​al ˈbȯr-ē-əl 

1

: of, relating to, or located in northern regions

boreal waters

2

: of, relating to, or comprising the northern biotic area characterized especially by dominance of coniferous forests

Examples of boreal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Canadian wildfire smoke is triggering air quality alerts across the U.S. Midwest and Northeast on Thursday, as the northern nation’s boreal forests continue to burn at a rate not seen except for a historic season in 2023. —Evan Bush, NBC news, 12 June 2025

In this boreal forest rich with lakes and rivers in the provinces of Manitoba and Ontario, caribou, wolverines, moose, and other wildlife flourish. —Pat Tompkins, AFAR Media, 9 June 2025

Previous studies focused on mountainous regions with vegetation dissimilar to the low-lying boreal forests of Finland, the researchers said. —Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 30 May 2025

The second-largest country in the world, Canada has one of the planet’s largest intact boreal forests. —Tracy Scott Forson, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English boriall, from Late Latin borealis, from Latin boreas north wind, north, from Greek, from Boreas

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for boreal

• ambassadorial
• combinatorial
• conspiratorial
• gladiatorial
• gubernatorial
• inquisitorial
• mediatorial
• multifactorial
• prosecutorial
• supratentorial
• arboreal
• armorial

Kids Definition

boreal

adjective

bo·​re·​al ˈbō(ə)r-ē-əl 

ˈbȯ(ə)r-

: of, relating to, or located or growing in northern or mountainous regions