bipolar

American  

[bahy-poh-ler] / baɪˈpoʊ lər /

adjective

1. having two poles, as the earth.

2. of, relating to, or found at both polar regions.

3. characterized by opposite extremes, as two conflicting political philosophies.

4. Electronics. of or relating to a transistor that uses both positive and negative charge carriers.

5. Psychiatry. of, relating to, or having bipolar disorder.

   His wife is bipolar.

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bipolar British  

/ baɪˈpəʊlə /

adjective

1. having two poles

   a bipolar dynamo

   a bipolar neuron

2. relating to or found at the North and South Poles

3. having or characterized by two opposed opinions, natures, etc

4. (of a transistor) utilizing both majority and minority charge carriers

5. suffering from bipolar manic-depressive disorder

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bipolar Scientific  

/ bī-pō′lər /

1. Relating to or having two poles or charges.

2. Relating to a semiconductor device, such as a transistor, that exploits the electrical characteristics of contact between two substances, one with an inherent positive charge, the other with an inherent negative charge.

3. Relating to or involving both of the Earth's polar regions.

4. Relating to a neuron that has two processes or extremities.

5. Relating to bipolar disorder.

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Other Word Forms

• bipolarity noun
• bipolarization noun

Etymology

Origin of bipolar

First recorded in 1800–10; bi- ¹ + polar

Example Sentences

The singer, who got her start on America’s Got Talent in 2011 with her cover group PopLyfe, was recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder, she said.

From Los Angeles Times

Although telomeres naturally shorten with age, the process appears to happen faster in people with major psychiatric conditions such as psychosis, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder, the researchers note.

From Science Daily

These studies examined the use of nitrous oxide, which is also widely used as a pain relief option in medical procedures, as a treatment for depressive disorders including MDD, TRD and bipolar depression.

From Science Daily

A European reserve manager was quoted as saying “we are moving from a bipolar to a multipolar reserve system, but the euro is not ready yet to lead.”

From Barron's

She had been battling various mental health conditions including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and dissociative identity disorder.

From Los Angeles Times