bipolar

1 of 2

adjective

bi·​po·​lar (ˌ)bī-ˈpō-lər 

1

: having or marked by two mutually repellent forces or diametrically opposed natures or views

2

a

: having or involving the use of two poles or polarities

bipolar generators

bipolar ECG leads

b

electronics : relating to, being, or using a transistor in which both electrons and holes (see hole entry 1 sense 1b(3)) are utilized as charge carriers (see carrier sense 2e)

3

: relating to, associated with, or occurring in both polar (see polar entry 1 sense 1a) regions

bipolar species of birds

4

psychology : being, characteristic of, or affected with a bipolar disorder

bipolar patients

bipolarity

ˌbī-pō-ˈler-ə-tē 

-ˈla-rə-

noun

bipolarization

(ˌ)bī-ˌpō-lə-rə-ˈzā-shən 

noun

bipolarize

(ˌ)bī-ˈpō-lə-ˌrīz 

transitive verb

bipolarize

2 of 2

transitive verb

bi·​po·​lar·​ize (ˌ)bī-ˈpō-lə-ˌrīz 

variants also British bipolarise

(ˌ)bī-ˈpō-lə-ˌrīz

: to bring into a bipolar state

bipolarization noun

also British bipolarisation

(ˌ)bī-ˌpō-lə-rə-ˈzā-shən 

-ˌrī-ˈzā-

The students Manhattan College is pursuing are the products of New York's shift toward a service-based economy, Brother [Thomas J.] Scanlan said. "The economy has led to a bipolarization of society and students have become either very wealthy or very poor," he said.

—New York Times, 23 Mar. 1988

Examples of bipolar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

According to Valentine’s mother, the 29-year-old is bipolar and was off her medication at the time of the assault. —Barry Williams, New York Daily News, 5 June 2026

Looking to IMDb, those new creative projects include a Holocaust drama starring and written by LaBeouf, a bipolar roadtrip movie, and a historical drama about the first prison rodeo co-starring Snoop Dogg. —Bethy Squires, Vulture, 3 June 2026

His analysis of 100,000 Georgian documents and 21st-century medical research pointed to bipolar affective disorder Type 1 — defined in part by at least one severe manic episode. —Laurie Kellman, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026

Gregory Moore said Cherrie Moore has bipolar schizophrenia and is under treatment while out on bond. —Jericka Duncan, CBS News, 2 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1806, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Phrases Containing bipolar

• bipolar disorder
• bipolar illness

Rhymes for bipolar

• comptroller
• controller
• dipolar
• gaoler
• nonpolar
• premolar
• ambipolar
• areolar
• bronchiolar
• circumpolar
• equimolar
• monopolar

Kids Definition

bipolar

adjective

bi·​po·​lar (ˌ)bī-ˈpō-lər 

1

: having or involving two poles

2

: having or marked by two mutually repellent forces or wholly opposed natures or views

3

: being, characteristic of, or affected with a bipolar disorder

bipolarity

ˌbī-​pō-​ˈler-​ə-​tē

noun

Medical Definition

bipolar

1 of 2 adjective

bi·​po·​lar

(ˈ)bī-ˈpō-lər

1

: involving or being electrodes or leads attached to two different bodily sites (such as the arms and legs) for recording the difference in electrical potential between the two sites

bipolar encephalograph leads

2

of a neuron : having an efferent and an afferent process

3

: being, characteristic of, or affected with a bipolar disorder

bipolar depression

bipolar patients

compare unipolar

bipolar

2 of 2 noun

: a person affected with bipolar disorder