grizzly bear

noun

: a very large brown bear (Ursus arctos) of northwestern North America

Note: The grizzly bear is the same species as the brown bear, but grizzly bear is typically used for the North American brown bear and not the European or Asian brown bear. In the U.S., grizzly bear is most often used for a brown bear of inland habitats (as in Montana and western Canada) that is typically smaller than coastal brown bears and usually has lighter-colored tips on the fur. The grizzly bear is often considered a subspecies (Ursus arctos horribilis) of the brown bear and, especially formerly, a separate species (Ursus horribilis).

The brown bears of Kodiak Island, the grizzly bears of the Rocky Mountains and interior Alaska, the European brown bear, all are now considered to be the same species, Ursus arctos, despite tremendous variation in color, size, and habits.

—Natural History

called also grizzly

Examples of grizzly bear in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That 17% includes iconic species such as the red wolf, American crocodile, Florida panther and grizzly bear. —Karrigan Börk, The Conversation, 13 May 2025

From 2009 to 2024, fatal vehicle collisions killed 51 grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE). —Charna Flam, People.com, 7 May 2025

The high concentration of towering peaks provides the perfect habitat for these elusive creatures to flourish, while the area’s remote location and lack of human settlements has also allowed the local population of grizzly bears to thrive over the centuries without interference. —Jared Ranahan, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025

Without the Endangered Species Act, Wyoming could establish a grizzly bear hunting season. —Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 11 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1791, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for grizzly bear

• aftercare
• anywhere
• billionaire
• chinaware
• debonair
• dinnerware
• disrepair
• doctrinaire
• earthenware
• everywhere
• frigidaire
• kitchenware

Kids Definition

grizzly bear

noun

: a large powerful brown bear found from the lower 48 to Alaska