primate

Meaning

1. A mammal of the order Primates, including apes (which include humans), monkeys, lemurs, tarsiers, lorisids, and galagos.
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

Translations

primate

Primat

primate

primat

mono

singe

🐒

aap

🐒

Affe

🐒

maymun

🐒

primates

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈpɹaɪmeɪt/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: primate

Cognate with English: primus

In summary

First attested in 1876. From French primate, from the substantivization of Latin prīmās, prīmātis (“one of the first, chief, excellent, noble”), same as Etymology 2. So named due to the belief that primates are the highest order of mammals or animals.