great ape

noun

plural great apes

: any of several large primates including the orangutan, gorilla, chimpanzee, and bonobo that are classified in the same family (Hominidae) as humans

Examples of great ape in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The effortless, terrifying strength of our great ape cousins seems to horrify and fascinate us, but gorillas are better known in the natural world as gentle giants. —Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025

Bonobos, great apes related to us and chimpanzees that live in the Republic of Congo, communicate with vocal calls including peeps, hoots, yelps, grunts, and whistles. —ArsTechnica, 3 Apr. 2025

In this case, the combatants are, to one side, a group of 100 unspecified men — and, on the other, a single gorilla, one of those noble herbivorous great apes found in equatorial Africa. —Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 29 Apr. 2025

The lodge is Volcanoes Safaris’ fifth on their great ape safari circuits through Uganda and Rwanda. —Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 16 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1771, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for great ape

• agape
• escape
• landscape
• lenape
• reshape
• seascape
• soundscape
• audiotape
• videotape
• cape
• crape
• crepe

Kids Definition

great ape

noun

: any of a family of apes that includes the gorilla, orangutan, and chimpanzee