brown bear

American  

noun

brown bears plural

1. any of several medium-sized to large bears of the species Ursus arctos, inhabiting North America and Eurasia in dwindling populations, characterized by an upturned muzzle and a hump high on the back and ranging from light tan to near black; formerly considered three distinct species and often still referred to as such: U. horribilis, the grizzly bear; U. middendorffi, the Kodiac bear; and U. arctos, comprising European and Asian brown bears.

---

brown bear British  

noun

1. a large ferocious brownish bear, Ursus arctos , inhabiting temperate forests of North America, Europe, and Asia See also grizzly bear Kodiak bear

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• brown bears
  plural

Etymology

Origin of brown bear

First recorded in 1775–85

Compare meaning

How does brown-bear compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• brown bear vs. grizzly bear

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

brown bear

Living in a mountain village in northern Greece, retired furrier Dimitris Despas is no stranger to brown bear encounters -- the latest one in his garden just weeks ago.

From Barron's ● Jul. 9, 2026

"We recovered two pendants: one made from a shell and another from a brown bear tooth," said Tornero.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 3, 2026

Later, when the AI reported a brown bear moving in the yard, she was less concerned.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 5, 2026

Several weeks later a large brown bear was captured on video running through the centre of the nearby town of Liptovsky Mikolas in broad daylight, bounding past cars and lunging at people on the pavement.

From BBC ● Apr. 2, 2025

Around 2:00 A.M. a small brown bear wandered into town, and the security dog Harlan Betchel kept locked in the Pilar Cafe, a Doberman named Brutus, went wild.

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols