grizzly bear

noun

: a very large brown bear (Ursus arctos) of northwestern North America

Note: The grizzly bear is the same species as the brown bear, but grizzly bear is typically used for the North American brown bear and not the European or Asian brown bear. In the U.S., grizzly bear is most often used for a brown bear of inland habitats (as in Montana and western Canada) that is typically smaller than coastal brown bears and usually has lighter-colored tips on the fur. The grizzly bear is often considered a subspecies (Ursus arctos horribilis) of the brown bear and, especially formerly, a separate species (Ursus horribilis).

The brown bears of Kodiak Island, the grizzly bears of the Rocky Mountains and interior Alaska, the European brown bear, all are now considered to be the same species, Ursus arctos, despite tremendous variation in color, size, and habits.

—Natural History

called also grizzly

see also brown bear

Examples of grizzly bear in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Cabinet-Yaak grizzly bear recovery zone is one of six recovery zones in the lower 48 states, and is among the most imperiled, with only about 50 bears remaining, according to the Center for Biological Diversity. —Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025

Spot a grizzly bear from your uncrowded gondola ride. —Stephanie Stephens, USA Today, 13 Nov. 2025

Economists found each grizzly bear sighting is worth about $16, while a back bear is worth approximately $14. —Owen Clarke, Outside, 6 Nov. 2025

Two people were seriously injured after being attacked by a grizzly bear in the McGregor mountain range, Canadian officials said. —Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1791, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for grizzly bear

• aftercare
• anywhere
• billionaire
• chinaware
• debonair
• dinnerware
• disrepair
• doctrinaire
• earthenware
• everywhere
• frigidaire
• kitchenware

Kids Definition

grizzly bear

noun

: a large powerful brown bear found from the lower 48 to Alaska