primate

noun pri·mate \ ˈprī-ˌmāt or especially for sense 1 -mət \

|Updated on: 7 Jun 2018

Definition of primate

1 often capitalized : a bishop who has precedence in a province, a group of provinces, or a nation

2 archaic : one first in authority or rank : leader

[New Latin Primates, from Latin, plural of primat-, primas]

: any of an order (Primates) of mammals that are characterized especially by advanced development of binocular vision resulting in stereoscopic depth perception, specialization of the hands and feet for grasping, and enlargement of the cerebral hemispheres and that include humans, apes, monkeys, and related forms (such as lemurs and tarsiers)

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primateship

play \ˈprī-ˌmāt-ˌship\ noun

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primatial

play \prī-ˈmā-shəl\ adjective

See primate defined for English-language learners

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Examples of primate in a Sentence

the Primate of England and Wales

Recent Examples of primate from the Web

Genetically identical primates, their creators said, would speed medical research because the effects of any drug being tested could be traced to the treatment, not differences in genes.

— ben guarino, Washington Post, "China increasingly challenges American dominance of science," 3 June 2018
In early work, rVSVΔG-ZEBOV protected mice, hamsters, guinea pigs, and non-human primates from Ebola.

— beth mole, Ars Technica, "Vaccination method that wiped out smallpox gets unleashed today on Ebola," 21 May 2018
The primate was on board American Airlines flight 1014 from Chicago.

— USA TODAY, "Baboon briefly escapes crate, roams loose at San Antonio airport," 21 May 2018
Ebola Virus Disease, which most commonly affecting people and nonhuman primates (monkeys, gorillas, and chimpanzees), is caused by one of five known Ebola virus.

— bukola adebayo, CNN, "Ebola: Nigeria begins screening of travelers from high risk countries," 10 May 2018
Mysteries surround these early tool-using primates, ancestors to the species of human that still exists today.

— john wenz, Popular Mechanics, "How 700,000-Year-Old Rhino Bones Could Change the Story of Human Migration," 2 May 2018
Some of the animals commonly used include non-human primates, guinea pigs, rabbits and pigs.

— dana burke, Houston Chronicle, "See the numbers: Animal research reported in the Houston area," 26 Apr. 2018
But these fellow primates consistently astonish researchers with social behavior that seems, well, pretty highly evolved.

— melissa healy, latimes.com, "These monkeys surprised scientists by sharing even more when no one was looking," 30 Mar. 2018
The slow loris, a really adorable primate in Asia, is a great example.

— diane daniel, BostonGlobe.com, "How tourists can help prevent wildlife trafficking and poaching," 20 Mar. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of primate

Middle English primat, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin primat-, primas archbishop, from Latin, leader, from primus

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

PRIMATE Defined for English Language Learners

primate

noun

Definition of primate for English Language Learners

: any member of the group of animals that includes human beings, apes, and monkeys
: the highest ranking priest in a particular country or area in some Christian churches (such as the Church of England)