chimpanzee

American  

[chim-pan-zee, chim-pan-zee] / ˌtʃɪm pænˈzi, tʃɪmˈpæn zi /

noun

1. a very social great ape of sub-Saharan Africa, belonging to the genus Pan and having a brown-to-black coat, a relatively hairless face with a rounded muzzle, prominent ears, and hands adapted for knuckle-walking, and noted for its intelligence and humanlike behavior: both species, the common chimpanzee (P. troglodytes ) and the bonobo (P. paniscus ), are greatly reduced in number and considered endangered.

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chimpanzee British  

/ ˌtʃɪmpænˈziː /

noun

1. a gregarious and intelligent anthropoid ape, Pan troglodytes, inhabiting forests in central W Africa

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Etymology

Origin of chimpanzee

First recorded in 1730–40; origin uncertain; possibly from Vili , a Bantu language spoken on the Atlantic coast between southern Gabon and northern Angola

Compare meaning

How does chimpanzee compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• orangutan vs. chimpanzee

Example Sentences

In captivity, at least one chimpanzee appeared to drag imaginary blocks across the floor after playing with real wooden ones.

From Science Daily • Feb. 10, 2026

There, she became the namesake of the Ai Project, a research programme into the "chimpanzee mind".

From BBC • Jan. 12, 2026

There again, maybe the laugh is on the rest of us, because these folks are still pulling down the big bucks, even after their predictions worked out worse than the proverbial blindfolded chimpanzee throwing darts.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 26, 2025

Zoo officials say the infants will play a beneficial role in the well-being and dynamics of the entire chimpanzee troop, which is one of the largest of any zoo in the country with 17 individuals.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 2, 2025

In this zoo lives a chimpanzee called Jojo.

From "My Life with the Chimpanzees" by Jane Goodall

Related Words

• ape
• baboon
• gorilla
• lemur
• orangutan