hominid

1 of 2

noun

hom·​i·​nid ˈhä-mə-nəd How to pronounce hominid (audio)
-ˌnid
plural hominids
: any of a family (Hominidae) of erect bipedal primate mammals that includes recent humans together with extinct ancestral and related forms and the great apes
Earlier this year, a French team announced the discovery of fossil teeth and limb-bone fragments of a 6-million-year-old hominidB. Bower

hominid

2 of 2

adjective

: of, relating to, or being a hominid
The discovery of a 3.5-million-year-old hominid skull and other fossil remains in northern Kenya is shaking the human family tree at its very roots.Michael Balter

Examples of hominid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The Hobbit Relatives The team used that bone to calculate the ancient hominid’s height as 42 inches. Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 6 Aug. 2024 Why was this particular group of hominids so small? Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 6 Aug. 2024
Adjective
If the researchers can extend their findings to earlier spheroids found in Africa, from the Oldowan stone industry, then the balls could serve as some of the first evidence of hominid intelligence. Matt Hrodey, Discover Magazine, 18 Sep. 2023 Generations that lived through the stark 117,000-year period helped to rebuild hominid populations in Europe and Asia to a relatively stable level of about 27,160 breeders. Matt Hrodey, Discover Magazine, 6 Sep. 2023 See all Example Sentences for hominid 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hominid.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

New Latin Hominidae, from Homin-, Homo + -idae

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1889, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1915, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hominid was circa 1889

Dictionary Entries Near hominid

Cite this Entry

“Hominid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hominid. Accessed 9 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

hominid

noun
hom·​i·​nid ˈhäm-ə-nəd How to pronounce hominid (audio)
-ˌnid
: any of a family of two-footed primate mammals that include the human beings together with their extinct ancestors and related forms
hominid adjective

Medical Definition

hominid

noun
hom·​i·​nid ˈhäm-ə-nəd, -ˌnid How to pronounce hominid (audio)
: any of a family (Hominidae) of erect, bipedal, primate mammals that includes recent humans together with extinct ancestral and related forms and the gorilla, chimpanzee, bonobo, and orangutan
hominid adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on hominid

Last Updated: - Definition revised
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!