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definitions

bipolar

[bahy-poh-ler]
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR bipolar ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

having two poles, as the earth.
of, relating to, or found at both polar regions.
characterized by opposite extremes, as two conflicting political philosophies.
Electronics. of or relating to a transistor that uses both positive and negative charge carriers.
Psychiatry. of, relating to, or having bipolar disorder: His wife is bipolar.

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RELATED WORDS

vacillating, undulating, capricious, mercurial, spasmodic, inconstant, two-faced

Origin of bipolar

First recorded in 1800–10; bi-1 + polar
Related formsbi·po·lar·i·ty, nounbi·po·lar·i·za·tion, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for bipolar

British Dictionary definitions for bipolar

bipolar

adjective

having two polesa bipolar dynamo; a bipolar neuron
relating to or found at the North and South Poles
having or characterized by two opposed opinions, natures, etc
(of a transistor) utilizing both majority and minority charge carriers
suffering from bipolar manic-depressive disorder
Derived Formsbipolarity, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for bipolar
adj.

"having two poles," from bi- + polar; 1810 with figurative sense of "of double aspect;" 1859 with reference to physiology. Psychiatric use in reference to what had been called manic-depressive psychosis is said to have begun 1957 with German psychiatrist Karl Leonhard. The term became popular early 1990s. Bipolar disorder was in DSM III (1980).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Medicine definitions for bipolar

bipolar

[bī-pō′lər]

adj.

Having two poles; used especially of nerve cells in which the branches project from two usually opposite points.
Of or relating to both ends or poles of a bacterial or other cell.
Of or relating to a major mood disorder that is characterized by episodes of mania and depression.
Related formsbi′po•lar′i•ty (-lăr′ĭ-tē) n.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Science definitions for bipolar

bipolar

[bī-pō′lər]

Relating to or having two poles or charges.
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.
Relating to or involving both of the Earth's polar regions.
Relating to a neuron that has two processes or extremities.
Relating to bipolar disorder.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.