orangutan

noun

orang·​u·​tan ə-ˈraŋ-ə-ˌtaŋ 

-ˈraŋ-gə-, 

-ˌtan 

: any of several largely herbivorous arboreal great apes (Pongo pygmaeus, P. abelii, and P. tapanuliensis) of Borneo and Sumatra that are about ²/₃ as large as the gorilla and have brown skin, long sparse reddish-brown hair, and very long arms

Illustration of orangutan

Examples of orangutan in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Goodall, Fossey and Galdikas showed that chimpanzees make tools and wage political struggles, that gorillas live in complex family groups, and that orangutans raise their young with a patience and investment that rivals that of humans. —Mireya Mayor, The Conversation, 27 Mar. 2026

An extra dose of spring sunshine will arrive at the Denver Zoo in the coming months, with Sumatran orangutan and first-time mom Hesty expecting a baby in May, zoo officials said this week. —Katie Langford, Denver Post, 27 Mar. 2026

The size of Little Foot’s face fell between that of a gorilla and an orangutan, while the shape was closer to what is seen in orangutans and bonobos. —Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 7 Mar. 2026

When other monkeys shooed the baby away, Punch rushed back to the toy orangutan, hugging it for comfort. —ABC News, 4 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Bazaar Malay (Malay-based pidgin), from Malay orang man + hutan forest

First Known Use

1691, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

orangutan

noun

orang·​utan

ə-ˈraŋ-ə-ˌtaŋ, 

-ˌtan

: a large anthropoid ape of Borneo and Sumatra that is about ⅔ as large as a gorilla, eats mostly plants, lives in trees, and has very long arms, long thin reddish brown hair, and a nearly hairless face