bipolar

Etymology

bi- + polar

adj

1. Involving or having both extremes or poles at the same time.
   (4) the unipolar-bipolar distinction is important in regard to these personality variables; the trait of extraversion (associated as it is with positive affectivity) may mean that individual variation here leads to a more bipolar pattern; ... 1992, Paul Gilbert, Depression: The Evolution of Powerlessness
   Pakistan greatly resents this, but its efforts to adjust the complex have involved trying to make it more bipolar (via nuclear weapons), and not to move to another security order. 1997, David A. Lake, Patrick M. Morgan, Regional Orders: Building Security in a New World
   And today, the world has become more and more bipolar. 2006, Leandro Herrero, The Leader with Seven Faces: finding your own ways to practice leadership in today's organization
2. Relating to both polar regions.
3. (physics) Relating to a bipole.
4. Relating to or having bipolar disorder.
   And in both visual artists and creative writers, there is a considerably higher risk of affective disorder, more unipolar (depression only) in artists, and more bipolar (mania and depression) in writers, and leading to higher rates of alcoholism and suicide, particularly in writers (Andreasen 1987; DeLong & Aldershof, 1988; Jamison, 1986, 1995). 2005, Barbara E. Bryden, Sundial: Theoretical Relationships Between Psychological Type, Talent, and Disease
   Since many childhood depressions become more bipolar in adult life, and because Jay's father was bipolar, I added Depakote to "protect" him against this bipolar possibility. 2005, Robert H. Coombs, editor, Family Therapy Review: Preparing for Comprehensive and Licensing Examinations
   If a bipolar person you work with is receiving successful treatment, you might not even know that she is bipolar. 2006, Jon P. Bloch, Jeffrey A. Naser, The everything health guide to adult bipolar disorder
5. (politics) Of or relating to an international system in which two states wield most of the cultural, economic, and political influence.

noun

1. (countable) A bipolar cell.
2. (uncountable) Ellipsis of bipolar disorder.