polar

American  

[poh-ler] / ˈpoʊ lər /

adjective

1. of or relating to the North or South Pole.

2. of or relating to the pole of any sphere, a magnet, an electric cell, etc.

3. opposite in character or action.

   The two have personalities that are polar.

4. capable of ionizing, as NaCl, HCl, or NaOH; electrolytic; heteropolar.

5. central; pivotal.

   the polar provision of the treaty.

6. analogous to the polestar as a guide; guiding.

   a polar precept.

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polar British  

/ ˈpəʊlə /

adjective

1. situated at or near, coming from, or relating to either of the earth's poles or the area inside the Arctic or Antarctic Circles

   polar regions

2. having or relating to a pole or poles

3. pivotal or guiding in the manner of the Pole Star

4. directly opposite, as in tendency or character

5. chem

   1. Also: heteropolar.  (of a molecule or compound) being or having a molecule in which there is an uneven distribution of electrons and thus a permanent dipole moment

      water has polar molecules

   2. (of a crystal or substance) being or having a crystal that is bound by ionic bonds

      sodium chloride forms polar crystals

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polar Scientific  

/ pō′lər /

1. Relating to a pole, such as the pole of a magnet or one of the electrodes of an electrolytic cell.

2. Relating to the North Pole or the South Pole of Earth, or analogous regions of another planet.

3. Relating to a molecule or substance that has polar bonds.

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Other Word Forms

• antipolar adjective
• transpolar adjective

Etymology

Origin of polar

From the Medieval Latin word polāris, dating back to 1545–55. See pole ², -ar ¹

Example Sentences

As warmer temperatures melt polar ice, a parallel danger lurks in high mountain areas where melting glaciers have created thousands of new lakes.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Don’t miss the Tropical Rainforest Aviary for free-flight birds or the Arctic Passage, where you can watch polar bears and seals swim underwater.

From Salon • Mar. 31, 2026

Amazon in February received permission from regulators to deploy another 4,500 satellites to create a second-generation system and a polar constellation.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

Shrinking sea ice is making it harder for polar bears to hunt.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

As the polar bear circled in closer to the snowmobile, Owen and George spiraled farther away, always keeping the bear in sight as they backed up.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz

Related Words

• freezing
• frigid
• glacial
• icy