brown bear

noun

: any of several chiefly brown bears that are usually considered a single species (Ursus arctos), that formerly inhabited western North America from Alaska to northern Mexico and much of Europe and Asia but are now much restricted in range, and that include the grizzly bear and Kodiak bear

Illustration of brown bear

Examples of brown bear in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This suggests the brown bear had come back and dragged the man's body away, the Asahi said. —CBS News, 12 Dec. 2025

The population of the Hokkaido brown bear, one of two bear species in Japan, has more than doubled in the last 30 years, with nearly 12,000 of the animals now roaming the country’s northernmost prefecture. —Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 11 Dec. 2025

Both black and brown bears frequent these areas, so be sure to bring bear spray. —Robert Annis, Outside, 22 Nov. 2025

The Hokkaido brown bear is Japan's largest bear species, but there are fewer in number, with just 12,000 animals in the country. —Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 20 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1757, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for brown bear

• abwehr
• affair
• affaire
• airfare
• altair
• armchair
• aware
• beware
• bugbear
• carfare
• childcare
• compare

Kids Definition

brown bear

noun

: any of several bears that are mostly brown in color, are usually lumped together in a single species including the grizzly bear, and at one time inhabited much of North America from Alaska to northern Mexico as well as Europe and Asia