black bear

noun

: the common North American bear (Ursus americanus) ranging in color from brown or typical black to white

Illustration of black bear

Illustration of black bear

Examples of black bear in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The male black bear was reportedly removed from the crawl space Tuesday after bear-removal experts from Tahoe traveled to the Altadena home. Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 9 Jan. 2026 Florida’s first black bear hunt in a decade ended with 52 bears killed — far fewer than the 172 the state wildlife commission had allowed for. Lori Rozsa, Washington Post, 1 Jan. 2026 Two Yuba County men have been convicted in a Northern California poaching case that involved the unlawful pursuit and abuse of 13 wild animals — including eight black bears. Sacbee.com, 1 Jan. 2026 Most of the attacks have been by smaller Asian black bears and have occurred in Akita prefecture, now a front line of the crisis. Peter Guo, NBC news, 31 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for black bear

Word History

First Known Use

1589, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of black bear was in 1589

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Black bear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/black%20bear. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.

Kids Definition

black bear

noun
: the common usually black-furred bear found in North American forests

More from Merriam-Webster on black bear

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!