polar bear

American  

noun

polar bears plural

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

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polar bear British  

noun

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

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• polar bears
  plural

Etymology

Origin of polar bear

First recorded in 1775–85

Example Sentences

Bear Scotland, who look after the country's roads, named one of their gritters "Snow Scotland Snow Party", complete with someone dressed up as a kilt-wearing polar bear.

From BBC • Jun. 12, 2026

Thankfully that never happened thanks to the ship’s stabilizers, allowing me to traverse sea ice, view an unsuccessful polar bear hunt, and photograph wildlife from whales to walruses in comfort.

From Barron's • May 6, 2026

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

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

Owen almost jumped out of his skin at the sight of the big polar bear sneaking up on them against the white of the snow.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz