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

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Etymology

Origin of bipolar

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

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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

See Examples For:

bipolar

Studies have suggested that a significant number of people with severe/recurrent depression could actually have bipolar, with some research putting it as many as one in five, external.

From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026

Magaña was diagnosed with bipolar and schizoaffective disorders as a young teen, but growing up in a large, traditional Mexican family, mental health wasn’t talked about as openly as it is today, she said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2026

At first she didn't want to accept her bipolar diagnosis but she said years of symptoms eventually made sense.

From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026

They say better screening could be "life-saving" as medication for depression can often make people with bipolar more unwell.

From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026

Schizophrenia, schizoaffective, bipolar I, bipolar II, major depression, psychotic depression, obsessive/compulsive, and on and on.

From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman

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