polar

[poh-ler]

adjective

1. of or relating to the North or South Pole.

2. of or relating to the pole of any sphere, a magnet, an electric cell, etc.

3. opposite in character or action.

   The two have personalities that are polar.

4. capable of ionizing, as NaCl, HCl, or NaOH; electrolytic; heteropolar.

5. central; pivotal.

   the polar provision of the treaty.

6. analogous to the polestar as a guide; guiding.

   a polar precept.

polar

/ ˈpəʊlə /

adjective

1. situated at or near, coming from, or relating to either of the earth's poles or the area inside the Arctic or Antarctic Circles

   polar regions

2. having or relating to a pole or poles

3. pivotal or guiding in the manner of the Pole Star

4. directly opposite, as in tendency or character

5. chem

   1. Also: heteropolar. (of a molecule or compound) being or having a molecule in which there is an uneven distribution of electrons and thus a permanent dipole moment

      water has polar molecules

   2. (of a crystal or substance) being or having a crystal that is bound by ionic bonds

      sodium chloride forms polar crystals

polar

1. Relating to a pole, such as the pole of a magnet or one of the electrodes of an electrolytic cell.

2. Relating to the North Pole or the South Pole of Earth, or analogous regions of another planet.

3. Relating to a molecule or substance that has polar bonds.

Other Word Forms

• antipolar adjective
• transpolar adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of polar¹

From the Medieval Latin word polāris, dating back to 1545–55. See pole ², -ar ¹

Example Sentences

About an hour after the superstorm arrived, charged particles surged through Earth's upper atmosphere at high latitudes and flowed toward the polar cap.

Read more on Science Daily

She's building a traditional Greenlandic sleigh by hand from wood, with a polar bear drawn on the front.

Read more on BBC

The polar bear has become the iconic symbol for the dangers of climate change.

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The polar station resembles an igloo placed on top of a large buoy.

Read more on Barron's

This technology allowed the team to observe the ocean even during the polar night and create the first continuous, observation-based record of winter CO2 exchange in the Southern Ocean.

Read more on Science Daily

Related Words

• freezing 
• frigid 
• glacial 
• icy