bipolar
bipolar Lexical Profile
bipolar Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Relating to, having, or characterized by bipolar disorder, a psychiatric condition marked by alternating periods of mania and depression.
"The clinic specializes in the diagnosis and long-term management of bipolar patients."
Having or relating to two poles, extremities, or opposing centers of power or influence.
"During the Cold War, international relations were largely defined by a bipolar geopolitical order."
Designating a nerve cell that has two processes (an axon and a dendrite) extending from opposite ends of the cell body, or an electronic device that uses both positive and negative charge carriers.
"Bipolar neurons in the retina transmit visual signals from photoreceptors to ganglion cells."
Relating to or found in both the North and South polar regions of the Earth.
"Marine biologists documented the bipolar distribution of several cold-water plankton species."
• noun
Bipolar disorder; a mental health condition characterized by extreme shifts in mood, energy, and activity levels between manic highs and depressive lows (used informally as an uncountable short form).
"She was diagnosed with bipolar in her early twenties and has managed her symptoms effectively with therapy and medication."
A person affected by bipolar disorder.
"Clinical studies often compare the sleep patterns of bipolars with those of control groups."
Word Nuance & Usage
In contemporary clinical and respectful usage, person-first language (e.g., "a person with bipolar disorder") is strongly preferred over using "bipolar" as a noun to label an individual, and casual use of the adjective to describe ordinary moodiness or changeable weather is widely discouraged as trivializing a serious mental health condition.
• Rhymes for bipolar
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the early 19th century in scientific contexts from the Latin prefix bi- ("two") and polaris ("of the poles"), from polus ("end of an axis"); the psychiatric sense describing alternating manic and depressive states emerged in the mid-20th century.