hominin

noun

hom·​i·​nin ˈhä-mə-nən How to pronounce hominin (audio)
-ˌnin
: any of a taxonomic tribe (Hominini) of hominids that includes recent humans together with extinct ancestral and related forms

Examples of hominin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Furthermore, parallels can be drawn between this modern case and prehistoric examples like the Taung Child — a juvenile hominin from Africa believed to have been killed by an eagle. Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 18 May 2025 But most hominins don’t rely on stones collected as-is. John K. Murray, The Conversation, 7 May 2025 This technology appeared around 3.3 million years ago and became essential to hominins – all the living and extinct species that belong to the human lineage. John K. Murray, The Conversation, 7 May 2025 Found at the Sima del Elefante site in the Atapuerca Mountains, the fossils make up a partial skull comprised of the left side of the face of an adult hominin. Katie Hunt, CNN, 12 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hominin

Word History

Etymology

New Latin Hominini, from Homin-, Homo + -ini, tribe suffix, from Latin -inus -ine entry 1

First Known Use

1989, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hominin was in 1989

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hominin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hominin. Accessed 27 May. 2025.

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