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

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Black bears are generally timid and more likely to avoid humans, while grizzly bears are known to be more territorial and larger in size. —

Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024 The 28-year-old brown grizzly bear was fatally struck by a vehicle in Snake River Canyon, just south of Jackson, Wyoming, on the evening of Tuesday, Oct. 23. —

Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 1 Nov. 2024 According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, brown bears and grizzly bears are both common names for the same species, Ursus arctos, but the main difference is their geographic location. —

Stephen Smith, CBS News, 31 Oct. 2024 Read Next: Famous Bear, Grizzly 399, Kills Elk Calf on Camera Grizzly 399 is the second grizzly bear killed by a motor vehicle in the GYE this year. —

Alice Jones Webb, Outdoor Life, 24 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for grizzly bear