primate

noun

pri·​mate
ˈprī-ˌmāt,
or especially for sense 1
-mət How to pronounce primate (audio)
1
often capitalized : a bishop who has precedence in a province, a group of provinces, or a nation
2
archaic : one first in authority or rank : leader
3
: 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)
primateship noun
primatial adjective

Examples of primate in a Sentence

the Primate of England and Wales
Recent Examples on the Web So Much Stuff: How Humans Discovered Tools, Invented Meaning and Made More of Everything Archaeologist Chip Colwell investigates why humankind went from self-sufficient primates to nonstop shoppers, from needing nothing to needing everything. Chip Colwell, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Feb. 2024 The primate died on Wednesday at the age of 36 due to a cardiac event. Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 15 Feb. 2024 Now, a new group of primates have flourished in a jungle-like world where nature has taken over. Jordan Moreau, Variety, 12 Jan. 2024 Over thousands of years, the study suggests, local wet and dry seasons intensified, and the plants that made up the giant primates’ forest home changed. Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 10 Jan. 2024 But Reddy told me that teasing could be an additional clue that nonhuman primates routinely guess at what other individuals are thinking, and use that intel to guide their own actions and further refine their social instincts. Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 14 Feb. 2024 These results challenge earlier assumptions on the social development of primate ancestors and also prove that solitary living in primates is not an original primitive state, but a social state that evolved later on. Margherita Bassi, Discover Magazine, 30 Jan. 2024 The Associated Press reported in 2015 that three facilities in Hendry county house thousands of these primates in total. Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY, 11 Jan. 2024 Thought to be the largest primate to ever exist on Earth, Gigantopithecus blacki roamed the plains of southern China before going extinct. Mithil Aggarwal, NBC News, 11 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'primate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English primat, primate, borrowed from Anglo-French primat, primas, borrowed from Late Latin prīmāt-, prīmās "chief, superior, chief bishop," noun derivative of Latin prīmāt-, prīmās "of the highest rank, noble," from prīmus "first, foremost" + -āt-, -ās, adjective-forming suffix, originally from place names; (sense 3) after New Latin Primates (order name introduced by linnaeus), plural of Latin prīmās — more at prime entry 2

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of primate was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near primate

Cite this Entry

“Primate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/primate. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

primate

noun
pri·​mate ˈprī-ˌmāt How to pronounce primate (audio)
 or especially for 1  -mət
1
: a bishop or archbishop of the highest rank in a district, nation, or church
2
: any of an order of mammals that are characterized by hands and feet that grasp, a relatively large complex brain, and vision in which objects are seen in three dimensions and that includes human beings, apes, monkeys, and related forms (as lemurs and tarsiers)

Medical Definition

primate

noun
pri·​mate ˈprī-ˌmāt How to pronounce primate (audio)
: any mammal of the order Primates

More from Merriam-Webster on primate

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