hominid

noun

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hom·i·nid | \ ˈhä-mə-nəd

, -ˌnid \

plural hominids

Definition of hominid

(Entry 1 of 2)

: any of a family (Hominidae) of erect bipedal primate mammals that includes recent humans together with extinct ancestral and related forms and in some recent classifications the great apes (the orangutan, gorilla, chimpanzee, and bonobo)

hominid

adjective

Definition of hominid (Entry 2 of 2)

: of, relating to, or being a member of a family (Hominidae) of erect, bipedal, primate mammals that includes recent humans together with extinct ancestral and related forms and in some recent classifications the gorilla, chimpanzee, and orangutan 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 For example, the initial discovery of a new fossil hominid usually elicits some different interpretations and expressions of uncertainty in the scientific community. — Sean B. Carroll, Scientific American, "The Denialist Playbook," 8 Nov. 2020 One thing that still mystifies Raia and Diniz-Filho is how these hominids, with tiny, chimp-sized brains, thrived for so long on the islands. — Fox News, "Prehistoric 'hobbit' mystery may have been solved," 4 Nov. 2019 During much of the human journey from just another primate to world-conquering hominid, our four-legged pals have been right by our side. — Popular Science, "Did humans truly domesticate dogs? Canine history is more of a mystery than you think.," 10 Feb. 2020 Some 400,000 years ago, ancient hominids living in what is now Israel hunted down their meals and brought the remains back to a site known as Qesem Cave. — Brigit Katz, Smithsonian, "Prehistoric Deer Bones May Offer the Earliest Evidence of Ancient Food Storage," 11 Oct. 2019 According to a press release, DNA has been key in helping scientists map out the messy relationships between primates and hominids that lived within the past 50,000 years. — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "Scientists Now Know Where the Largest Primate to Ever Exist Sits in Primate Family Tree," 14 Nov. 2019 Makgadikgadi is littered with stone tools dropped there aeons ago by Palaeolithic hominids. — The Economist, "Where was Eden? Perhaps in a sun-baked salt plain in Botswana," 31 Oct. 2019 Which species of hominids, though, is not necessarily clear. — The Economist, "Where was Eden? Probably in a sun-baked salt plain in Botswana," 28 Oct. 2019 Here’s the thing, bands on tour tend to devolve into older models of hominid society. — Charlton Pettus, New York Times, "41 Days, 26 Shows, 10 Countries: A Rock Tour Diary," 16 Oct. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hominid.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.