bearer

noun

bear·​er ˈber-ər 

: one that bears: such as

a

: porter sense 1

b

: a plant yielding fruit

c

: pallbearer

d

: one holding a check, draft, bond, or other order for payment especially if marked payable to bearer

—often used attributively

bearer bonds

Examples of bearer in a Sentence

the bearer of a U.S. passport

The check was marked “payable to bearer.”

Recent Examples on the Web

Nena Farrell Lenovo’s Latest ThinkPad X1 Carbon Is Shockingly Light The standard bearer of ultralight laptops gets smaller than ever—but performance and battery life remain elusive. —Louryn Strampe, WIRED, 14 Feb. 2025

The 20-year-old tennis star also made history by becoming the youngest Team USA flag bearer at the Olympics and the first tennis player to carry the flag for the US. —Ben Morse, CNN, 13 Feb. 2025

Honorary urn bearers are Reese Klawitter, Zachary Klawitter, Matthew Sampson, Joseph Sampson, Ben Klawitter, Ron Klawitter and Ken Klawitter. —Contributed Content, Twin Cities, 6 Feb. 2025

Perhaps the most significant was Silencio, the longtime standard bearer from Paris with their core team. —Eric Fuller, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing bearer

• color-bearer
• live-bearer
• ring bearer
• standard-bearer

Kids Definition

bearer

noun

bear·​er ˈbar-ər 

ˈber-

1

: someone or something that bears, supports, or carries

2

: a person holding a check or order for payment

Legal Definition

bearer

1 of 2 noun

bear·​er ˈbar-ər 

: a person holding a check, draft, or other negotiable instrument for payment especially marked payable to bearer or having a blank endorsement

bearer

2 of 2 adjective

: freely transferable by the holder with or without endorsement and with full title passing by delivery to the transferee: as

a

: not having a registered owner

b

: not designating a specific payee

a bearer instrument

bearer checks

compare order