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 Unfortunately, vehicle collisions with wildlife, including grizzly bears, are not uncommon. —

Leslie Katz, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024 More than 1,000 people quickly posted comments calling her a queen, a legend and an ambassador for grizzly bears. —

Mead Gruver, Chicago Tribune, 23 Oct. 2024 The area is one of only six habitats in the lower 48 states considered large and intact enough to support a grizzly bear population. —

Laura Yale, Outside Online, 3 Oct. 2024 Archery hunter survives surprise grizzly bear attack Following their investigation, Detective Jake Koch and Detective Aaron Banic arrested 53-year-old Terry Wood and 25-year-old Breanna Puentez in connection with the thefts. —

Jon Haworth, ABC News, 9 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for grizzly bear

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'grizzly bear.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.