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

Illustration of chimpanzee

Examples of chimpanzee in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In Tanzania, visitors can see wild chimpanzees, huge lion prides, the incredible mass birthing of wildebeest in late February and early March, and dense concentrations of elephants in the dry season from June to October. —Kent Redding, Travel + Leisure, 10 Sep. 2025

Texas, the only state where Chagas disease in animals has been a reportable condition, 431 canine cases were reported from 2013–2015 in addition to cases in two cats, one horse, one rat, three chimpanzees and one walrus, per the health agency. —Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 9 Sep. 2025

The team behind the research noted that many of these genes are tied to developmental delay, which may have played a role in the slower pace of postnatal brain growth in humans compared to chimpanzees. —Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025

The chimpanzee behavior Goodall saw up close and recorded turned science on its head. —Keith Matheny, Freep.com, 9 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Kongo dialect chimpenzi

First Known Use

1738, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing chimpanzee

• pygmy chimpanzee

Rhymes for chimpanzee

• mansi
• pansy
• tansy

Kids Definition

chimpanzee

noun

chim·​pan·​zee ˌchim-ˌpan-ˈzē  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- 

-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