primate
noun
pri·mate
| \ ˈprī-ˌmāt or especially for sense 1 -mət
\
\
Definition of primate
1
often capitalized
: a bishop who has precedence in a province, a group of provinces, or a nation
3
[ New Latin Primates, from Latin, plural of primat-, primas ]
: any of an order (Primates) of mammals that are characterized especially by advanced development of binocular vision resulting in stereoscopic depth perception, specialization of the hands and feet for grasping, and enlargement of the cerebral hemispheres and that include humans, apes, monkeys, and related forms (such as lemurs and tarsiers)
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Other Words from primate
primateship
\ ˈprī-ˌmāt-ˌship
\
noun
\
noun
primatial
\ prī-ˈmā-shəl
\
adjective
\
adjective
Examples of primate in a Sentence
the Primate of England and Wales
Recent Examples on the Web
In preclinical trials, the vaccine effectively protected about 66% of nonhuman primates against HIV-like viruses. — Emily Baumgaertner, Los Angeles Times, "HIV prevention is making progress. And a breakthrough vaccine appears within reach," 6 Sep. 2019 The city, knowing the monkeys had entertained generations of residents, had wooden statues of the primates displayed inside the cage. — Kelly Kazek | [email protected], al, "Antique kiddie train has charmed Alabamians since 1955," 5 Sep. 2019 When compared with other ancient bones, the cranium could change how anthropologists view a critical point in the evolution of humanlike primates. — Ben Guarino, Anchorage Daily News, "This newfound 3.8-million-year-old skull called ‘iconic’ in human evolution," 29 Aug. 2019 Rwanda's tourism is centered around its astonishing wildlife, particularly its population of primates, whether chimps in Nyungwe Forest or gorillas in Volcanoes National Park. — Mark Ellwood, Condé Nast Traveler, "Best Places to Visit in September," 25 July 2019 The evolutionary lineages leading to the two groups split 170 million years ago, during the age of dinosaurs and before the origin of birds, and 110 million years before the origin of primates. — Gavin Naylor, The Conversation, "Shark Week looms, but don’t panic," 25 July 2019 Chimpanzees communicate effectively with their various sounds, but in ways quite similar to those of other nonhuman primates. — Michael Wilson, Smithsonian, "What Can Chimpanzee Calls Tell Us About the Origins of Human Language?," 10 May 2018 Human fingers are much longer and more slender than those of Neanderthals and not even close to any of the nonhuman primates in the comparison group. — Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, "Saudi Arabian fossil find puts finger on the story of human dispersal," 9 Apr. 2018 Or will they be considered off-limits, like primates? — Tik Root, Time, "Inside the Race to Build the World's First Commercial Octopus Farm," 21 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'primate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for primate
primate
noun
English Language Learners Definition of primate
: any member of the group of animals that includes human beings, apes, and monkeys
formal
: the highest ranking priest in a particular country or area in some Christian churches (such as the Church of England)
See the full definition for primate in the English Language Learners Dictionary
primate
noun
pri·mate
| \ ˈprī-ˌmāt
\
\
Kids Definition of primate
: any of a group of mammals that includes humans together with the apes and monkeys and a few related forms
primate
noun
pri·mate
| \ ˈprī-ˌmāt
\
\
Medical Definition of primate
: any mammal of the order Primates
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