polar bear

noun

: a large creamy-white carnivorous bear (Ursus maritimus synonym Thalarctos maritimus) that inhabits arctic regions

Illustration of polar bear

Illustration of polar bear

Examples of polar bear in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Not on a cruise ship, and not in search of penguins (although there are plenty) and polar bears (which are only in the Arctic). Laura Dannen Redman, Robb Report, 29 Mar. 2026 Wildlife, such as polar bears and seals, also depend on sea ice. Seth Borenstein, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026 Svalbard polar bears have been getting fatter as sea-ice loss encourages their transition to terrestrial food sources. Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026 The short ends with a striking scene of a polar bear being airlifted out of Churchill, and the feature sort of picks up from there. Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 4 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for polar bear

Word History

First Known Use

1769, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of polar bear was in 1769

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Cite this Entry

“Polar bear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/polar%20bear. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

polar bear

noun
: a large creamy-white fish-eating bear that lives in arctic regions

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