polar bear

American  

noun

polar bears plural

1. a large white bear, Ursus maritimus, of the Arctic regions.

---

polar bear British  

noun

1. a white carnivorous bear, Thalarctos maritimus, of coastal regions of the North Pole

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• polar bears
  plural

Etymology

Origin of polar bear

First recorded in 1775–85

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

polar bear

Her social media feed piled up with video after video of polar bear rescues, such as fishermen or scientists hauling a freezing, struggling baby polar bear onto a ship.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 2, 2026

He described how on one occasion a polar bear came looking for him.

From BBC ● Apr. 8, 2026

A polar bear suffers through an existential crisis of faith after realizing that he prefers Pepsi Max to Coke Zero.

From Slate ● Feb. 8, 2026

A few days before Christmas, Dasher is soaring alone through skies illuminated by the northern lights when, upon landing, she meets a polar bear.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 4, 2025

“That polar bear tagged you pretty good too,” he said.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz