orangutan

American

[aw-rang-oo-tan, oh-rang-, uh-rang-] / ɔˈræŋ ʊˌtæn, oʊˈræŋ-, əˈræŋ- /

Also orang-utan;

noun

either of two species of long-armed, arboreal great ape, the only extant members of the subfamily Ponginae, inhabiting Borneo (Pongo pygmaeus ) and Sumatra (P. abelii ): both species, including all three of the Bornean subspecies, are endangered.

Etymology

Origin of orangutan

First recorded in 1690–1700; from Dutch orang outang, apparently from Malay: literally, “forest man” ( Malay orang “man, person” + (h)utan “forest”

Compare meaning

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

orangutan vs. chimpanzee

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.

Six-month-old Punch became an internet sensation after footage of him clinging forlornly to zookeepers and dragging around a stuffed orangutan toy were widely shared on X.

From Barron's • Feb. 20, 2026

Using satellite data and information on the pre-existing tapanuli orangutan population, experts have calculated nearly 60 animals may have been killed in what they called an "extinction-level event" for the species.

From Barron's • Feb. 19, 2026

After the vessel transporting his family from India to Canada sinks, Pi escapes to a lifeboat with a zebra, a hyena, an orangutan and a tiger—and his situation gets more complicated with each passing day.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

The recent floods have also damaged a number of orangutan research centres in Sumatra - including at Ketambe, the world's first orangutan research centre, in Aceh.

From BBC • Dec. 11, 2025

The image of a new species popped into my head: the rare seafaring green orangutan.

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel

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