primate

noun

pri·​mate

ˈprī-ˌmāt,

or especially for sense 1

-mət 

1

often capitalized : a bishop who has precedence in a province, a group of provinces, or a nation

2

archaic : one first in authority or rank : leader

3

: any of an order (Primates) of mammals that are characterized especially by advanced development of binocular vision resulting in stereoscopic depth perception, specialization of the hands and feet for grasping, and enlargement of the cerebral hemispheres and that include humans, apes, monkeys, and related forms (such as lemurs and tarsiers)

primateship

ˈprī-ˌmāt-ˌship 

noun

primatial

prī-ˈmā-shəl 

adjective

Examples of primate in a Sentence

the Primate of England and Wales

Recent Examples on the Web

Georgetown’s only craft brewery, Winyah Bay Brewing Co., creates beers inspired by the surroundings, including the Wooden Boat Beer and Research Monkeys on the Loose, dedicated to the primates that escaped from a Yemassee research facility. —Caroline Eubanks, Travel + Leisure, 24 Feb. 2025

According to the Lincoln Park Zoo, northern tree shrews are most closely related to primates and have no relation to actual shrews other than a coincidental resemblance to them. —Rhiannon Saegert, Miami Herald, 20 Feb. 2025

In the United States, 24 different states allow for private ownership of primates as pets, though some states have restrictions on breeds or require a permit before adoption. —Sara Belcher, People.com, 12 Feb. 2025

The monthslong search for 43 rhesus macaque monkeys that escaped from a South Carolina research facility an hour west of Charleston came to a close Friday after the last of the fugitive primates were found, the Yemassee Police Department announced on social media. —Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 25 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English primat, primate, borrowed from Anglo-French primat, primas, borrowed from Late Latin prīmāt-, prīmās "chief, superior, chief bishop," noun derivative of Latin prīmāt-, prīmās "of the highest rank, noble," from prīmus "first, foremost" + -āt-, -ās, adjective-forming suffix, originally from place names; (sense 3) after New Latin Primates (order name introduced by linnaeus), plural of Latin prīmās — more at prime entry 1

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for primate

• abate
• airfreight
• await
• baseplate
• berate
• birthdate
• birthrate
• bookplate
• borate
• breastplate
• bromate
• casemate

Kids Definition

primate

noun

pri·​mate ˈprī-ˌmāt 

 or especially for 1  -mət

1

: a bishop or archbishop of the highest rank in a district, nation, or church

2

: any of an order of mammals that are characterized by hands and feet that grasp, a relatively large complex brain, and vision in which objects are seen in three dimensions and that includes human beings, apes, monkeys, and related forms (as lemurs and tarsiers)

Medical Definition

primate

noun

pri·​mate ˈprī-ˌmāt 

: any mammal of the order Primates