noun
primate
PREYE-mayt
noun
1
A mammal belonging to the group that includes apes, monkeys, humans, and lemurs.
"Chimpanzees are among our closest living primate relatives."
2
A high-ranking archbishop or bishop in certain Christian churches.
"The Archbishop of Canterbury holds the title of Primate of All England."
How to Use Primate
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither an animal from the group including monkeys, apes, and humans, or (in some churches) a top-ranking archbishop.
Common pairings
non-human primates
a primate species
Primate of All England
Word Forms
primates plural, primates plural
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Chimpanzees are among our closest living _____ relatives.
Etymology
From French primate, from Latin prīmās ("one of the first rank, chief"); the biological sense reflects the old idea that primates were the "highest" order of mammals.