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

Illustration of brown bear

Examples of brown bear in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Other standouts include Manon Gage as a trouble-making hippie; a very hungry brown bear; Joy Suprano as a budding feminist who befriends Pamela; and a prolific TV presence who guest stars in the second half of the season. — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2026 Killing a Bear Movistar Plus, Arte France In 2020, Cachou, a brown bear, is found dead in a ravine, sparking a criminal investigation. — Emiliano De Pablos, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026 Russia's brown bear population has more than doubled since 1990, from around 130,000 to almost 308,000 in 2026, according to Russia's natural resources ministry. — CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026 Fat Bear Week was started in 2014 as an interactive way to inform the public about brown bears, the coastal cousins of grizzlies. — ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for brown bear

Word History

First Known Use

1757, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of brown bear was in 1757

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Cite this Entry

“Brown bear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brown%20bear. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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

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