black bear

noun

: the common North American bear (Ursus americanus) ranging in color from brown or typical black to white

Illustration of black bear

Illustration of black bear

Examples of black bear in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Throughout the journey, the conservationist, television host and executive producer encounters black bears, alligators and native fish while documenting active wildlife rescue and conservation efforts. — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 1 Sep. 2026 Florida black bears have no true natural predators in the wild besides humans. — Stephen Hudak, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026 Most notable were the startling bear signs, alerting us to the presence of Asian black bears in the area. — Everett Potter, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 Earlier this month, Colorado Parks and Wildlife reported that a black bear died after getting trapped inside an unlocked vehicle in Colorado Springs. — Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for black bear

Word History

First Known Use

1589, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of black bear was in 1589

Rhymes for black bear

See All Rhymes for black bear

Browse Nearby Words

black bean
black bear
black bearberry
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Black bear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/black%20bear. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

black bear

noun
: the common usually black-furred bear found in North American forests

More from Merriam-Webster on black bear

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about black bear

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of apiary

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All