polar

[ poh-ler ]
See synonyms for polar on Thesaurus.com
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.

  1. opposite in character or action: The two have personalities that are polar.

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

  3. central; pivotal: the polar provision of the treaty.

  4. analogous to the polestar as a guide; guiding: a polar precept.

Origin of polar

1
From the Medieval Latin word polāris, dating back to 1545–55. See pole2, -ar1

Other words from polar

  • an·ti·po·lar, adjective
  • trans·po·lar, adjective

Words Nearby polar

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use polar in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for polar

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

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

  2. directly opposite, as in tendency or character

  3. chem

    • 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

    • (of a crystal or substance) being or having a crystal that is bound by ionic bonds: sodium chloride forms polar crystals

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for polar

polar

[ lər ]


  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.

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

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.