primate

Meaning

1. A mammal of the order Primates, including simians and prosimians.
2. (informal) A simian anthropoid; an ape (including human) or monkey.

Synonyms

monkey

🐒

ape

prelate

anthropoid

archbishop

high priest

archpriest

hierarch

simian

superior

chief

leader

lemur

macaque

man

👨

bishop

apelike

primary

prime

handed

head

Hyphenated as

pri‧mate

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈpɹaɪmeɪt/

Etymology

From French primate, from Latin primas (“one of the first, chief, excellent, noble”). So named due to the belief that primates are the “highest” order of mammals/animals. First attested in 1876.