1
a
: of or relating to a geographic pole or the region around it
b
: coming from or having the characteristics of such a region
c(1)
: passing over a celestial body's north and south poles
a satellite in a polar orbit
(2)
: traveling in a polar orbit
a polar satellite
2
: of or relating to one or more poles (as of a magnet)
3
: serving as a guide
a polar principle
a polar theory
4
: diametrically opposite
polar positions on the issue
5
: exhibiting polarity
especially
: having a dipole or characterized by molecules having dipoles
a polar solvent
6
: resembling a pole or axis around which all else revolves : pivotal
polar events
7
: of, relating to, or expressed in polar coordinates
polar equations
also
: of or relating to a polar coordinate system
: a straight line related to a point
specifically
: the straight line joining the points of contact of the tangents from a point exterior to a conic section
Examples of polar in a Sentence
Adjective
They took polar positions on the issue.
She and I are good friends even though we're polar opposites.
Recent Examples on the Web
Anthony Wood, Space.com, 5 June 2026
Deploying Big Carl, the engineers lifted the 42-foot (13 m) RPV inside the reactor building, where it was rotated to a vertical position by a large internal polar crane and then lowered onto a support ring.
—Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 2 June 2026
Mike Wall, Space.com, 22 May 2026
The polar bogey the commander spotted that day was Santa Claus.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for polar
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Adjective
The clouds tend to form near polar regions, where the mesosphere is at its coldest, according to the Royal Meteorological Society.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 5 June 2026
Deploying Big Carl, the engineers lifted the 42-foot (13 m) RPV inside the reactor building, where it was rotated to a vertical position by a large internal polar crane and then lowered onto a support ring.
—Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 2 June 2026
Noun
In a video, SpaceX announced that cryptocurrency billionaire Chun Wang, who financed a private polar spaceflight with SpaceX on a Dragon capsule called Fram2 in 2025, will lead a flyby around Mars sometime in the future.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 22 May 2026
The polar bogey the commander spotted that day was Santa Claus.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for polar
Cite this Entry
“Polar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/polar. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
polar
adjective
po·lar
ˈpō-lər 
1
: of or relating to one or more poles (as of a spherical body)
2
: exhibiting polarity
especially
: having a dipole or characterized by molecules having dipoles
a polar solvent
3
: being at opposite ends of a spectrum of symptoms or manifestations
polar types of leprosy
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