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

Explanation

The prefix "bi-" means two, so bipolar means having two opposing poles. Often, this is the name of a type of mental illness. Anything with two poles or opposites can be considered bipolar. The yin and yang symbol (black and white or male and female) is an example of bipolar or opposing natures. However, this term is used most often to describe bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, which is when you experience very high highs and very low lows with your emotions. The negative and positive charge on a neuron or a transistor can also be called bipolar.

Example Sentences

They discovered that, unlike the polar filaments formed by similar systems in other bacteria, the filaments in Anabaena are bipolar, meaning they can grow and shrink from both ends.

From Science Daily • Apr. 20, 2026

He attributed his controversial behaviour to a "manic episode" brought on by bipolar disorder.

From Barron's • Apr. 20, 2026

He apologised in a lengthy statement published in the Wall Street Journal in January and blamed manic episodes caused by his bipolar disorder.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

The US rapper has subsequently expressed regret for his conduct, blaming it on his bipolar disorder.

From Barron's • Apr. 6, 2026

Fourteen years after the incident with the Weavers, I would sit in a university classroom and listen to a professor of psychology describe something called bipolar disorder.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover