black bear

noun

: the common North American bear (Ursus americanus) ranging in color from brown or typical black to white

Illustration of black bear

Illustration of black bear

Examples of black bear in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Michigan is home to more than 12,000 black bears, which tend to be smaller and less aggressive than their brown bear cousins. Saman Shafiq, Freep.com, 19 Sep. 2025 Wildlife officials euthanized a black bear this week after the animal wandered into a Dollar General in northern New Jersey and bit a woman. Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2025 According to the North American Bear Center, black bears kill less than one person per year on average in North America. Jillian Frankel, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2025 Here’s what happened when a black bear charged me on my hometown trail. Katie Jackson, Outside, 11 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for black bear

Word History

First Known Use

1589, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of black bear was in 1589

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Cite this Entry

“Black bear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/black%20bear. Accessed 24 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

black bear

noun
: the common usually black-furred bear found in North American forests

More from Merriam-Webster on black bear

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