plural bonobos
: a rare great ape (Pan paniscus) that has a more slender build and longer limbs than the related common chimpanzee (P. troglodytes) and that inhabits a small geographic region in equatorial Africa south of the Congo River
called also pygmy chimpanzee
Examples of bonobo in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
From existing scientific literature, the researchers collected information on which modern primate species have been observed kissing; these included chimpanzees, bonobos, orangutans and one species of gorilla.
—
Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 19 Nov. 2025
Specifically one person who works with wild chimps and bonobos.
—Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 10 Nov. 2025
Our closest ape relatives, like chimps and bonobos, show a fair amount of violence, as did many groups of hunter-gatherers.
—Big Think, 18 Oct. 2025
Species like bonobos, orangutans, chimpanzees, and gorillas are poached for the bushmeat and pet trades, leading to drastic population declines.
—Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bonobo
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 19 Nov. 2025
Specifically one person who works with wild chimps and bonobos.
—Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 10 Nov. 2025
Our closest ape relatives, like chimps and bonobos, show a fair amount of violence, as did many groups of hunter-gatherers.
—Big Think, 18 Oct. 2025
Species like bonobos, orangutans, chimpanzees, and gorillas are poached for the bushmeat and pet trades, leading to drastic population declines.
—Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bonobo
Cite this Entry
“Bonobo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bonobo. Accessed 21 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
bonobo
noun
bo·no·bo
bə-ˈnō-bō; ˈbä-nə-bō 
-nō-
-nō-
: a rare anthropoid ape of the genus Pan (P. paniscus) that has a more slender build and longer limbs than the related common chimpanzee (P. troglodytes)
called also pygmy chimpanzee
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share