primate

[ prahy-meyt prahy-mit ]

noun

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.

primate

¹

/ 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

adjective

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

primate

²

/ ˈpraɪmeɪt /

noun

1. See archbishop
   another name for archbishop
2. Primate of all England
   Primate of all England the Archbishop of Canterbury
3. Primate of England
   Primate of England the Archbishop of York

primate

/ 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.

Derived Forms

• primatial, adjective

Other Words From

• pri·matal adjective noun
• pri·ma·tial [prahy-, mey, -sh, uh, l], pri·mat·i·cal [prahy-, mat, -i-k, uh, l], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of primate¹

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 ; prime, Primates, -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of primate¹

C18: from New Latin primates, plural of prīmās principal, from prīmus first

Origin of primate²

C13: from Old French, from Latin prīmās principal, from prīmus first

Example Sentences

Genetic studies of living primates have suggested that gibbon ancestors emerged by at least 20 million years ago in Africa.

From Science News

Most reporters, myself included, were expecting non-human primates.

From Singularity Hub 

Our family, the hominids, included other primates that walked the Earth on two legs.

From Science News For Students

So to understand why men are taller than women, we may need to understand why we experience puberty when we do and what drives differences in estrogen use between primates.

From Quanta Magazine

At the time, no one knew that someone’s sneeze can infect local primates with colds and other viral diseases.

From Science News For Students

No matter the name, the purported “anomalous primate” has long been the subject of a cycle of stories and skepticism.

From The Daily Beast

The results are in and Homo habilis, our primate forebear, has won another round.

From The Daily Beast

Believed to be around 16 years old at the time, the primate had endured a life in the entertainment business.

From The Daily Beast

But first a word on human lice, a noble symbiote who has been working the primate circuit for millions of years.

From The Daily Beast

The well-dressed primate that stormed a Canadian IKEA over the weekend has been photo shopped into a Marc Jacobs ad on Tumblr.

From The Daily Beast

The Primate evidently thought all fat things should be reserved for Englishmen like himself.

From Project Gutenberg

Sir G. Gostwick soon after laid charges against the archbishop, which Henry quashed, and the primate was willing to forgive.

From Project Gutenberg

Probably the new responsibilities imposed upon him as Primate of the English Church pressed upon his conscience.

From Project Gutenberg

The Bishop of Chichester declared that Becket was primate no longer, as he had gone against the laws of the realm.

From Project Gutenberg

The King doubtless made him primate of the English hierarchy in order that he might combine both offices.

From Project Gutenberg