primatology

American  

[prahy-muh-tol-uh-jee] / ˌpraɪ məˈtɒl ə dʒi /

noun

1. the branch of zoology dealing with the primates.

---

primatology British  

/ ˌpraɪməˈtɒlədʒɪ /

noun

1. the branch of zoology that is concerned with the study of primates

---

primatology Scientific  

/ prī′mə-tŏl′ə-jē /

1. The scientific study of primates.

---

Other Word Forms

• primatological adjective
• primatologist noun

Etymology

Origin of primatology

First recorded in 1940–45; primate + -o- + -logy

Explanation

If your interest in orangutans and monkeys leads you to pursue a career studying them, your specialty will be primatology, the study of mammals like apes, gorillas, baboons, and lemurs. A zoologist whose primary interest is primates is a primatologist, and their field is primatology. All of these words stem from the Late Latin primas, "of the first rank," and its root, primus, "first." Scientists think of primates as "the first, or highest, order of mammals." You may agree if your interest in primatology has led you to put apes and monkeys at the top of your list of interesting animals.

Example Sentences

Her findings revolutionized primatology and laid the foundation for other women researchers to later take the lead in the field.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 23, 2025

Goodall, in removing the barriers, raised primatology to new heights, opening the way for research on subjects ranging from political coalitions among baboons to the use of deception by an array of primates.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 1, 2025

Co-author Shinya Yamamoto, an associate professor of primatology at Kyoto University, told Salon that this finding is significant because it is the first to ever study contagious urination in any animal, including humans.

From Salon • Jan. 20, 2025

He further adds "These findings could expand the potential applications of such techniques in studies of animal psychology and wild primatology."

From Science Daily • Jun. 19, 2024

As Junger writes about the meanings of freedom and community, he occasionally swerves into boxing strategy, labor history and primatology.

From New York Times • Apr. 28, 2021