great ape

American

[greyt eyp] / ˈgreɪt ˈeɪp /

noun

any extant or extinct member of the family Hominidae, or hominids: its extant species include humans, chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans.

great ape British

noun

any of the larger anthropoid apes, such as the chimpanzee, orang-utan, or gorilla

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

great ape Scientific

/ grāt /

See anthropoid ape

Etymology

Origin of great ape

First recorded in 1770–75

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

great ape

According to the researchers, this growing ability to control vocal timing likely developed gradually over the course of great ape evolution.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 2, 2026

The study's findings, said the authors, show that extreme rainfall events can directly threaten the survival of great ape populations.

From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026

The area is home to the world's rarest great ape, the tapanuli orangutan, just 800 of which were believed to exist in the wild before the disaster.

From Barron's ● Feb. 19, 2026

As exciting as this great ape baby boom is for L.A.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 18, 2025

So, in French, I asked him if he could tell me where a great ape release site was nearby.

From "Endangered" by Eliot Schrefer

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023