primate

noun

pri·​mate

ˈprī-ˌmāt

or especially for sense 1

-mət 

1

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

2

archaic : one first in authority or rank : leader

3

: 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)

primateship

ˈprī-ˌmāt-ˌship 

noun

primatial

prī-ˈmā-shəl 

adjective

Examples of primate in a Sentence

the Primate of England and Wales

Recent Examples on the Web

The release went on to share several key facts about the tiny primates, including that only 2,000 mature cotton-top tamarins — which are native to the forests of northwestern Colombia — exist in the wild. —Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 9 Nov. 2025

The monkey was one of three escapees from last week’s accident, when a truck crashed while carrying 21 primates from the Tulane National Biomedical Research Center near New Orleans. —Bracey Harris, NBC news, 5 Nov. 2025

The monkeys came from the Tulane National Primate Research Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, which gives primates to scientific research organizations. —Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 5 Nov. 2025

Primatologist Jane Goodall, who died in October at the age of 91, used her documentaries and celebrity to show the connection between primates and humans—helping people around the world connect with the natural world. —Justin Worland, Time, 5 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English primat, primate, borrowed from Anglo-French primat, primas, borrowed from Late Latin prīmāt-, prīmās "chief, superior, chief bishop," noun derivative of Latin prīmāt-, prīmās "of the highest rank, noble," from prīmus "first, foremost" + -āt-, -ās, adjective-forming suffix, originally from place names; (sense 3) after New Latin Primates (order name introduced by linnaeus), plural of Latin prīmās — more at prime entry 1

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for primate

• abate
• airfreight
• await
• baseplate
• berate
• birthdate
• birthrate
• bookplate
• borate
• breastplate
• bromate
• casemate

Kids Definition

primate

noun

pri·​mate ˈprī-ˌmāt 

or especially for 1 -mət

1

: a bishop or archbishop of the highest rank in a district, nation, or church

2

: any of an order of mammals that are characterized by hands and feet that grasp, a relatively large complex brain, and vision in which objects are seen in three dimensions and that includes human beings, apes, monkeys, and related forms (as lemurs and tarsiers)

Medical Definition

primate

noun

pri·​mate ˈprī-ˌmāt 

: any mammal of the order Primates