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

The viral creation from Alaska’s Katmai National Park & Preserve allows people to vote for brown bears that gain the most weight in anticipation for hibernation. — Scott Soshnick, Sportico.com, 24 Sep. 2026

The annual beloved online showdown that turns Alaska's bulkiest brown bears into internet celebrities is returning for its 12th edition this week, celebrating the bears' remarkable pre-hibernation glow-up. — Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2026

The live-cams captured the young brown bear cub being killed and eaten by #806 as her spring cubs looked on. — Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 22 Sep. 2026

The annual competition at Alaska's Katmai National Park and Preserve kicks off Tuesday with 16 brown bears vying for the title of chonkiest champ. — Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2026

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