Illustration of chimpanzee
chimpanzee
noun
chim·pan·zee
(ˌ)chim-ˌpan-ˈzē 
-pən-ˈzē,
-ˈpan-zē
sometimes (ˌ)shim-
: an anthropoid ape (Pan troglodytes) of equatorial Africa that is smaller and more arboreal than the gorilla compare bonobo
Examples of chimpanzee in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In 2013, researchers from Lund University repeatedly yawned at 33 chimpanzees in cages and found that the chimps consistently yawned back.
—
Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 5 June 2025
The structure of their hands and wrists is more common with modern human dexterity than that of chimpanzees and gorillas.
—Stephanie Edwards, Discover Magazine, 15 May 2025
This suggests the origin of our own musicality may have originated in a last common ancestor with chimpanzees.
—Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 May 2025
However, studies like these are increasingly hard to carry out, researchers say, as wild chimpanzee populations are depleted by hunting, the pet trade, and habitat destruction.
—Jon Hamilton, NPR, 12 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for chimpanzee
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Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 5 June 2025
The structure of their hands and wrists is more common with modern human dexterity than that of chimpanzees and gorillas.
—Stephanie Edwards, Discover Magazine, 15 May 2025
This suggests the origin of our own musicality may have originated in a last common ancestor with chimpanzees.
—Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 May 2025
However, studies like these are increasingly hard to carry out, researchers say, as wild chimpanzee populations are depleted by hunting, the pet trade, and habitat destruction.
—Jon Hamilton, NPR, 12 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for chimpanzee
Cite this Entry
“Chimpanzee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chimpanzee. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
chimpanzee
noun
chim·pan·zee
ˌchim-ˌpan-ˈzē
ˌshim-
ˌshim-
chim-ˈpan-zē,
shim-
: an African ape that is related to the gorilla but is smaller and spends more of its time in trees
Medical Definition
chimpanzee
noun
chim·pan·zee
ˌchim-ˌpan-ˈzē
ˌshim-
ˌshim-
-pən-; chim-ˈpan-zē,
shim-
: an anthropoid ape of the genus Pan (P. troglodytes) found in equatorial Africa that is smaller and more arboreal than the gorilla see bonobo
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