primate

American  

[prahy-meyt, prahy-mit] / ˈpraɪ meɪt, ˈpraɪ mɪt /

noun

• primates
  plural

1. Ecclesiastical. an archbishop or bishop ranking first among the bishops of a province or country.

2. Anthropology, Zoology. any of various worldwide omnivorous mammals of the order Primates, comprising, by modern classification, two suborders, the strepsirrhines (lemurs, lorises, and their allies) and the haplorhines (tarsiers, New World monkeys, Old World monkeys, and apes, including humans), especially distinguished by the use of hands, varied locomotion, and complex behavior involving a high level of social interaction and cultural adaptability: many primates are strictly arboreal, but even among the numerous terrestrial species, some arboreal behavior is common.

3. Archaic. a chief or leader.

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primate ¹ British  

/ praɪˈmeɪʃəl, ˈpraɪmeɪt /

noun

1. any placental mammal of the order Primates, typically having flexible hands and feet with opposable first digits, good eyesight, and, in the higher apes, a highly developed brain: includes lemurs, lorises, monkeys, apes, and man

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or belonging to the order Primates

primate ² British  

/ ˈpraɪmeɪt /

noun

1. another name for archbishop

2. the Archbishop of Canterbury

3. the Archbishop of York

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primate Scientific  

/ prī′māt′ /

1. Any of various mammals of the order Primates, having a highly developed brain, eyes facing forward, a shortened nose and muzzle, and opposable thumbs. Primates usually live in groups with complex social systems, and their high intelligence allows them to adapt their behavior successfully to different environments. Lemurs, monkeys, apes, and humans are primates.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• primatal
  adjective
• primatial
  adjective
• primatical
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• primates
  plural

Etymology

Origin of primate

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English, Anglo-French, Old French primat “dignitary, religious leader, archbishop,” from Late Latin prīmāt- (stem of prīmās ), noun use of Latin prīmās “of first rank, principal, chief,” derivative of prīmus “first”; primate ( def. 2 ) taken as singular of New Latin Primātēs, name of the taxonomic order; -ate as if from the suffix -ate ; see origin at prime, Primates, -ate ¹

Explanation

A primate is a monkey, ape, human, or other similar mammal. You've probably visited the primate house at the zoo. When you see the word primate, you probably think of monkeys. A monkey is just one example of a primate, though — lemurs are primates too, and so are gibbons, and even people. The things we all have in common are large brains, opposable thumbs, bendy toes, and good eyesight. The Latin word primas, or "first," is the root of primate, which scientists sometimes call "the highest order of mammals."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

primate primates

On top of its potential communicative importance and intrinsic value as a cultural behavior, accumulative stone throwing involves durable primate material culture, the loss of which would constitute the erasure of primate heritage.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 28, 2026

The primate species that are with us today are descended from these highly mobile ancestors.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 20, 2026

The new scientific study, by Jorge Avaria-Llautureo of the University of Reading and other researchers, maps the geographic origins of our primate ancestors and the historical climate at those locations.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 20, 2026

In fact, Mr. Lefebvre notes many striking similarities between avian and primate intelligence.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026

He had an international reputation as a knowledgeable and skilled veterinarian who specialized in primate husbandry.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston

In recent years, customs officials have repeatedly intercepted passengers arriving from south-east Asia with live reptiles, birds and primates concealed in their luggage.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

"When we compare humans with primates, we are looking at abilities that may have come from a common ancestor," says senior author Laura Cuaya of the University of Vienna.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 11, 2026

The experts looked at several studies, including one which showed that three out of four non-human primates vaccinated with Ervebo survived Bundibugyo, compared with one out of four control animals.

From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026

In both mice and nonhuman primates, DT-109 reduced Clostridium perfringens levels and lowered ammonia production in the intestines.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026

It is generally believed that aids came originally from African primates, from monkeys and apes, and that it somehow jumped out of these animals into the human race.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston