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

Examples of brown bear in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The brown bear ran off after the incident and the hiker was hospitalized in stable condition the day after the incident. —Megan Forrester, ABC News, 30 July 2025

Quick shooting has saved my life twice from charging brown bears. —Jim Rearden, Outdoor Life, 23 July 2025

With both black and brown bears living within the municipality of Anchorage, the local parks and recreation department provides tips to keep in mind while recreating in any park or trail in the area. —Megan Forrester, ABC News, 30 July 2025

Both black and brown bears live within the Anchorage municipality, and visitors to parks or trails should always follow bear-aware practices. —Gabrielle Rockson, People.com, 24 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1757, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for brown bear

• abwehr
• affair
• affaire
• airfare
• altair
• armchair
• aware
• beware
• bugbear
• carfare
• childcare
• compare

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