chimpanzee

noun

chim·​pan·​zee (ˌ)chim-ˌpan-ˈzē 

-pən-ˈzē, 

-ˈpan-zē 

sometimes (ˌ)shim-

: a great 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

The park is famous for its tree-climbing lions, enormous hippo populations, chimpanzee tracking, volcanic crater lakes, wetlands and savannah ecosystems. — Sarah Kingdom, Forbes.com, 27 June 2026

In this new study, a team from the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom analyzed recordings from four orangutans, two gorillas, four chimpanzees, three bonobos, two gorillas, and four humans. — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 25 June 2026

Researchers tickled 13 captive apes — including gorillas, orangutans, chimpanzees and bonobos — and recorded the results. — ABC News, 25 June 2026

And its brain is about the size of a chimpanzee’s, but it’s shaped and organized a lot like ours. — ArsTechnica, 25 June 2026

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