Illustration of macaque
: any of a genus (Macaca) of chiefly Asian monkeys typically having a sturdy build and including some short-tailed or tailless forms
especially
: rhesus monkey
Examples of macaque in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Japanese snow monkeys, formally known as Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata), are native to Japan and are the northernmost-living nonhuman primates in the world.
—
Joshua Mellin, Travel + Leisure, 27 Feb. 2026
Punch, a baby macaque in Japan's Ichikawa City Zoo, was abandoned by his mother at birth, according to previous USA TODAY reporting.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 27 Feb. 2026
Punch, a 6-month-old Japanese macaque, has captured the hearts of millions online.
—Olivia Wakim, AJC.com, 25 Feb. 2026
Goldberg's relatable flub came amid a Hot Topics discussion about Punch, an adorable macaque whose story of abandonment and bullying at the hands of other primates inside his Japanese zoo enclosure took the internet by storm across the last week.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Feb. 2026
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Joshua Mellin, Travel + Leisure, 27 Feb. 2026
Punch, a baby macaque in Japan's Ichikawa City Zoo, was abandoned by his mother at birth, according to previous USA TODAY reporting.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 27 Feb. 2026
Punch, a 6-month-old Japanese macaque, has captured the hearts of millions online.
—Olivia Wakim, AJC.com, 25 Feb. 2026
Goldberg's relatable flub came amid a Hot Topics discussion about Punch, an adorable macaque whose story of abandonment and bullying at the hands of other primates inside his Japanese zoo enclosure took the internet by storm across the last week.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for macaque
Cite this Entry
“Macaque.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/macaque. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
: any of various monkeys mostly from Asia that includes some with either short or no tails
especially
: rhesus monkey
Etymology
French, from Portuguese macaco, from makaku, plural of kaku, name for an African monkey in one or more Bantu languages of Gabon and Congo
Medical Definition
: any of numerous short-tailed Old World monkeys of the genus Macaca and related genera chiefly of southern Asia
especially
: rhesus monkey
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