simian

1 of 2

adjective

sim·​i·​an ˈsi-mē-ən 

: of, relating to, or resembling monkeys or apes

simian

2 of 2

noun

: monkey, ape

also : any of a suborder (Anthropoidea) of primates that includes monkeys, apes, and humans

Did you know?

The Latin word for "ape" is simia, which itself comes from simus, "snub-nosed". Simian is usually a scientific word; thus, for instance, biologists study simian viruses in the search for cures to AIDS and other diseases. But simian can be used by the rest of us to describe human behavior. Human babies often cling to their mothers in a simian way, and kids playing on a jungle gym may look like simians. But if you notice that a friend has a simian style of walking or eating bananas, it might be best not to tell him.

Examples of simian in a Sentence

Adjective

a study of simian viruses

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Millar adds that the team briefly considered leaning into simian movement, but that was quickly dismissed. —Carolyn Giardina, Variety, 17 Dec. 2024

But key special effects in the latest simian adventure couldn’t have happened without Weta Workshop’s creations for the Oscar-winning Avatar: The Way of Water. —Simon Thompson, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Dec. 2024

Noun

The look of their synthetic simian started with a scan of Williams for key features, but incorporated the proportions of Davies (for instance, his height so that the actors could look at each other, rather than tennis balls or sticks to create eyelines.). —Carolyn Giardina, Variety, 9 Dec. 2024

Ideally, the big rush of this set piece would be seeing the handsome young star of this blockbuster sink his teeth into a crazed simian. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 1 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Latin simia ape, from simus snub-nosed, from Greek simos

First Known Use

Adjective

1607, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1861, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing simian

• simian immunodeficiency virus

Kids Definition

simian

1 of 2 adjective

sim·​i·​an ˈsim-ē-ən 

: of, relating to, or resembling monkeys or apes

simian

2 of 2 noun

: monkey entry 1 sense 1, ape entry 1 sense 1