hominin
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of hominin
First recorded in 1985–90; from New Latin Hominīnī, equivalent to Latin homin- (stem of homō ) “human being, man” + -īnī (plural of the adjective suffix -īnus indicating origin or affiliation); see origin at Homo ( def. ), -ine 1 ( def. ) )
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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.
This hominin descended from a lineage dating back about 1.8 million years and appears to have interbred with Denisovans in Eurasia, probably more than 200,000 years ago.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 1, 2026
Researchers identified traces of fire use in archaeological deposits dating from 1.07 to 1.79 million years ago, making Wonderwerk Cave one of the oldest known sites associated with hominin fire use.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 24, 2026
Were they part of a larger web of hominin species living across eastern Africa?
From Science Daily ● May 16, 2026
It also noted that as many as four hominin lineages may have lived in eastern Africa between 3.0 and 2.5 million years ago: early Homo, Paranthropus, A. garhi, and the Ledi Geraru Australopithecus.
From Science Daily ● May 16, 2026
North and South America and Australia are especially intriguing because they were not inhabited by earlier hominin species before Homo sapiens.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 12, 2026
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
