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

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

Rana likes to follow polar bear tracks and listen to her mother’s stories: “Stories about the old ice, the long long polar night, the Great Bear and how snow foxes make light with their tails.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 20, 2026

In his office, where his mayor's chain is displayed alongside a polar bear femur, Terje Aunevik echoed that sentiment.

From Barron's ● Feb. 19, 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

“You didn’t check your surroundings for polar bears. You got between a momma bear and her cub. You turned your back on a polar bear and tried to outrun it.”

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz