Boreal means northern from the eponymous Boreas, god of the North Wind in Greek mythology. A boreal forest is the set of forest ecosystems than can survive in northern, specifically subarctic, regions — it is also known as the taiga. The forests that lie immediately to the south of this are often called hemiboreal.

The term is also sometimes used to denote the form of climate found in the region of boreal forests — specifically, the climates designated Dfc, Dwc and Dsc in the Köppen climate classification scheme.

Boreal is also the name of a manufacturer of climbing shoes.