: one that bears: such as
a
b
: a plant yielding fruit
c
d
: one holding a check, draft, bond, or other order for payment especially if marked payable to bearer
—often used attributively
bearer bonds
Examples of bearer in a Sentence
the bearer of a U.S. passport
The check was marked “payable to bearer.”
Recent Examples on the Web
And not to be the bearer of bad news, but the truth is that even the priciest mattress won’t last forever.
—
Sharon Brandwein, Southern Living, 18 Apr. 2024
By Charlotte Alter April 17, 2024 7:06 AM EDT
Elise Stefanik is the highest-ranking woman in the House GOP and, since shedding her more moderate persona to fully embrace Donald Trump, is increasingly seen as a standard bearer for the party.
—TIME, 17 Apr. 2024
Altan: Under the leadership of Donegal vocalist and fiddler Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, Altan has been the international standard bearer for traditional Irish music for nearly four decades.
—Andrew Gilbert, The Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2024
The Lions, no longer the bearers of the longest active playoff drought in sports, are now in the divisional round against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
—Jared Ramsey, Detroit Free Press, 20 Jan. 2024
Oxo Bottle Brush Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but your water bottle is filthy.
—Tiffany Hopkins, Bon Appétit, 25 Mar. 2024
Traumatic memory doesn’t feel like a historical event, but returns in an eternal present, disconnected from its origin, leaving its bearer searching for an explanation.
—George Makari, The Atlantic, 21 Mar. 2024
The idea of Trump once again being the Republican Party's standard bearer was not palatable to Neal Wasserman and his wife Leslie St. Amant.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA TODAY, 4 Feb. 2024
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but at last check, things didn’t look great.
—Melissa Oyler, Charlotte Observer, 1 Mar. 2024
Sharon Brandwein, Southern Living, 18 Apr. 2024
By Charlotte Alter April 17, 2024 7:06 AM EDT
Elise Stefanik is the highest-ranking woman in the House GOP and, since shedding her more moderate persona to fully embrace Donald Trump, is increasingly seen as a standard bearer for the party.
—TIME, 17 Apr. 2024
Altan: Under the leadership of Donegal vocalist and fiddler Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, Altan has been the international standard bearer for traditional Irish music for nearly four decades.
—Andrew Gilbert, The Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2024
The Lions, no longer the bearers of the longest active playoff drought in sports, are now in the divisional round against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
—Jared Ramsey, Detroit Free Press, 20 Jan. 2024
Oxo Bottle Brush Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but your water bottle is filthy.
—Tiffany Hopkins, Bon Appétit, 25 Mar. 2024
Traumatic memory doesn’t feel like a historical event, but returns in an eternal present, disconnected from its origin, leaving its bearer searching for an explanation.
—George Makari, The Atlantic, 21 Mar. 2024
The idea of Trump once again being the Republican Party's standard bearer was not palatable to Neal Wasserman and his wife Leslie St. Amant.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA TODAY, 4 Feb. 2024
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but at last check, things didn’t look great.
—Melissa Oyler, Charlotte Observer, 1 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bearer.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near bearer
Cite this Entry
“Bearer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bearer. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bearer
noun
bear·er
ˈbar-ər 
ˈber-
1
: someone or something that bears, supports, or carries
2
: a person holding a check or order for payment
Legal Definition
bearer
1 of 2 noun
bear·er
ˈbar-ər
: a person holding a check, draft, or other negotiable instrument for payment especially marked payable to bearer or having a blank endorsement
bearer
2 of 2 adjective
: freely transferable by the holder with or without endorsement and with full title passing by delivery to the transferee: as
a
: not having a registered owner
b
: not designating a specific payee
a bearer instrument
bearer checks
compare order
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