primate

noun

pri·​mate

ˈprī-ˌmāt

or especially for sense 1

-mət 

1

often Primate : 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

ˈprī-ˌmāt-ˌship 

noun

primatial

prī-ˈmā-shəl 

adjective

Examples of primate in a Sentence

the Primate of England and Wales

Recent Examples on the Web

Named for its distinctive call, the cao vit gibbon (Nomascus nasutus) is Earth’s second rarest primate. —Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 7 Jan. 2026

The primates are raised for at least four years before being used in trials, and breeders did not increase their populations during an investment downturn in 2023. —Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 5 Jan. 2026

Shawn-Shawn — a 50-year-old primate who made history in 1975 when she was born at Zoo Atlanta as the first gibbon-siamang hybrid ever reported — died this week at Noah’s Ark Animal Sanctuary in Locust Grove. —Danielle Charbonneau, AJC.com, 1 Jan. 2026

Many classic film and TV shows feature an unlikely primate costar — and Little House on the Prairie is no different. —Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Dec. 2025

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 1

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for primate

• abate
• airfreight
• await
• baseplate
• berate
• birthdate
• birthrate
• bookplate
• borate
• breastplate
• bromate
• casemate

Kids Definition

primate

noun

pri·​mate ˈprī-ˌmāt 

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 

: any mammal of the order Primates